I. Fundamentals of Plasma
1. Why is plasma often called the “fourth state of matter”?
A) Because it only exists at negative temperatures
B) Because it has no weight or mass
C) Because its macroscopic electrical neutrality and collective charged behavior distinguish it from solids, liquids, and gases
D) Because it cannot interact with magnetic fields
2. What causes a gas to transition into a plasma state?
A) Cooling it down to absolute zero
B) Supplying enough energy (heat, radiation, electric field) to ionize or dissociate atoms/molecules
C) Increasing pressure until gas turns into liquid
D) Removing all electrons from surrounding atmospheric air
3. Which of the following is a primary characteristic of cold plasmas?
A) Electrons, ions, and gas particles are all at millions of degrees Celsius
B) Electrons are energetic (hot), while ions and neutral gas particles remain near room temperature
C) Neutral particles are hot, while electrons remain completely motionless
D) They can only be generated inside nuclear fusion reactors
4. Which pair correctly matches a “Natural Plasma” / “Artificial plasma” ?
A) Sun / Solar Win
B) Auroras / Lightning bolt
C) Lightning / Neon light tube
D) Semiconductor etching tool / Plasma jet
5. Why can cold plasmas be used safely on delicate surfaces, biological tissues, or human skin?
A) They lack electrons entirely
B) The bulk gas and ion temperature remains close to ambient room temperature
C) They do not produce reactive species
D) They only operate in a deep vacuum inside outer space
II. Research topics & Life sciences applications
6. In cold plasma research at the interface with life sciences, what is “Plasma Agriculture”?
A) Using high-temperature plasma to burn agricultural weeds
B) Using cold plasma and plasma-activated liquids for seed treatment, germination enhancement, and crop protection
C) Growing crops inside high-vacuum plasma chambers
D) Replacing sunlight with ultraviolet lasers
7. What are ROS and RNS, which play a central role in cold plasma interactions with cells and microorganisms?
A) Reactive Oxygen Species and Reactive Nitrogen Species
B) Radioactive Oxide Solutions and Radiation Neutral Solids
C) Resonant Optical Sensors and Refractive Nitrogen Systems
D) Reduced Oxygen Solids and Re-esterified Nitrate Salts
8. How is “Plasma Endotherapy” being explored in biomedical research?
A) As an alternative method for generating nuclear energy
B) For endoscopic or minimally invasive cold plasma delivery, such as in cancer treatment studies
C) As a technique for high-precision metal welding in implants
D) For cooling down surgical operating rooms
9. Cold plasmas are effective at microbial inactivation (sterilization) mainly due to:
A) Extremely high bulk heat burning everything instantly
B) Heavy nuclear radiation output
C) Synergistic action of reactive species, UV light, and electric fields disrupting cell membranes/components
D) Complete removal of gravitational force around bacteria
III. Diagnostics, Tools & Interdisciplinary Skills
10. Which diagnostic technique is commonly used in cold plasma labs to analyze light emitted by plasma species
A) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
B) Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES)
C) Acoustic Doppler Echography
D) Gas Chromatography mass spectrometry only
11. Electrical diagnostics in cold plasma experimentation primarily measure which parameters?
A) Mass, density, and volume of the chamber
B) Current, voltage waveforms, power consumption, and discharge frequency
C) Speed of sound in the liquid phase
D) Room humidity and atmospheric pressure only
12. Why is numerical simulation important in cold plasma research?
A) It replaces the need for any laboratory experiments entirely
B) It helps model complex particle kinetics, electric fields, fluid dynamics, and chemistry that are hard to measure directly
C) It is required by law before turning on any light bulb
D) It converts cold plasma into hot fusion plasma automatically
Thierry Dufour, Dr. - Academic research 