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Plasma is often referred to as the fourth state of matter, distinct from solid, liquid, and gas. It is an ionized gas, meaning that a significant portion of its atoms or molecules have had their electrons stripped away, resulting in a collection of ions and free electrons. This electrical conductivity is a key characteristic of plasma. Plasmas can be found in a wide variety of natural phenomena and artificial applications.

Naturally occurring plasmas include lightning, the Earth's ionosphere, and the aurora borealis. Stars, including our Sun, are also giant balls of plasma. The extreme temperatures within stars cause the matter to ionize, forming plasma. On Earth, plasmas are utilized in technologies such as fluorescent lights, neon signs, plasma televisions, and plasma torches used for cutting and welding.

The behavior of plasma is governed by electromagnetic forces due to the presence of charged particles. This makes its dynamics significantly more complex than that of neutral gases. Plasmas can exhibit wave-like phenomena and exhibit collective behavior where the motion of individual particles is influenced by the motion of many others. The study of plasmas is known as plasma physics.