5B30.10 • Plasma Light

Location: Table by Cabinet 3

Photo Shows Apparatus Used at the University of Texas at Austin.

Instructions / Notes:

• Turn on the Plasma ball.
• Turn off the lights in the room for better visibility.
• Place your fingers on the ball and watch what happens.
• If desired, request for a stool to stand on to insulate the human body from ground.

Concept Conveyed:

• Lamp is filled with noble gases and one electrode placed at the center.
• The colors observed are due to neon, argon, and xenon gases.
• When touching the plasma ball, the electrons will go through the human body to the ground.
• May also convey an AC circuit as the glass (insulator) acts as a dielectric in a capacitor while the human body touching the glass, as well as the electrode inside, acts as conductors. The power supply (connecting the plasma light to Earth) is AC.

Last updated on June 5, 2026