What are exotic states like Bose–Einstein condensates and plasma

Beyond the three classical states, matter can exist in two additional, exotic states discovered through advanced physics experiments:

• Plasma:
  • Formed when a gas is heated to extremely high temperatures and atoms lose their electrons.
  • It consists of positively charged ions and free electrons.
  • Plasma conducts electricity, responds to magnetic fields, and glows (e.g., fluorescent lights, lightning, stars).
  • It is often called the fourth state of matter.
• Bose–Einstein Condensate (BEC):
  • Formed when certain gases are cooled to temperatures near absolute zero (–273 °C).
  • At this point, atoms lose individual identity and behave as one superatom, occupying the same quantum state.
  • Discovered by Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein.
  • Used in quantum research, superconductivity, and atomic lasers.

These exotic states show that matter’s behaviour can dramatically change under extreme temperature and pressure conditions.