What is the difference between the plasma and gaseous states of matter? A) The gaseous and plasma states are electrically neutral. B) The gaseous state is electrically positive, while the plasma state is electrically negative. C) The gaseous state is electrically negative, while the plasma state is electrically negative. D) The gaseous state is electrically neutral, while the plasma state can be either electrically positive or negative.

A) The gaseous and plasma states are electrically neutral. A plasma is an extremely ionized gas where the average charge is close to 0. It's either a near vacuum or extremely hot. With that in mind, let's look at the available options to see what fits. A) The gaseous and plasma states are electrically neutral. Yes, both a plasma and a gas are electrically neutral. Individual atoms and electrons within a plasma may have a charge, and the plasma may be electrically conductive. But the bulk state of the plasma is electrically neutral. B) The gaseous state is electrically positive, while the plasma state is electrically negative. This is claiming that both a gas and plasma are electrically charged. Wrong. C) The gaseous state is electrically negative, while the plasma state is electrically negative. This is claiming that both a gas and plasma are electrically charged. Wrong. D) The gaseous state is electrically neutral, while the plasma state can be either electrically positive or negative. Look at "A" above. The bulk plasma is electrically neutral although individual atoms and electrons in the plasma do have charges.