Talk:Plasma

Check the third bullet of "Trivia." Really, plasma bolts can be stopped with hot-pads? So the UNSC marines should geared up in kitchen hot-pads to avoid being injured by plasma weapons, including the energy sword! Please check the source of that claim.

I agree, the third bullet needs to be removed or changed.

The author tries to make it seem like the games aren't canon (while they obviously are), while suggesting that the books and the games are from two different series. They aren't. When analyzing Halo (since both the books and games are cannon), there has to be a cannon explanation for any said power disparities.

But, in spite of that, I'd dispute his claim that there are power disparities. Yes, in the game, plasma weapons are less effective than projectile weapons against unshielded targets, but that isn't unreasonable. If I take a 2 lb. projectile, and accelerate to 40% of the speed of light (what some Gauss guns do), it will have nearly 2 megatons of energy when it hits it target! That's about the energy of a small nuclear bomb. Though I in no way suggest that UNSC machine guns have that kind of yield, it stands to reason that a handheld projectile weapon can be just as powerful as a handheld plasma weapon.

Moreover, he claims that the weakness of plasma weapons in the games conflicts with the strength of plasma in the books. But we do see plasma weapons killing people in the books. We do see marines get killed by the Elite's plasma rifles. Plasma rifles can cut through armor, just like we see in the book.

So, really, there is no reason to conclude a break in canon here. The information in the books agrees with the video games.

The author has a point though. Often it seems in the book that being touched by any plasma means your screwed. Marines and machines are destroyed nigh instantaneously by plasma in the books but soak the same amount like sponges in the game.

however, this actually makes the games more accurate, given that the Body Armor article says that "Marines sometimes have thin Titanium-A armor suits, though these are an increasingly rare sight. These suits are slowly being replaced by ceramic variants", ceramic materials have very high heat resistance and even modern ceramic materials are able to withstand the incredibly high temperatures of plasma, which is why Dr. Michio Kaku  used ceramic materials in his design for a Lightsaber, and if ceramics can survive being made into a Plasma sword, than they should also be able to survive being shot by a Plasma Rifle, (which a Lightsaber would also need to do) Andrew-108 19:12, September 22, 2010 (UTC)

Background
Maybe I shouldn't be questioning this, but shouldn't a little background on Plasma as a substance be added i.e.: "Plasma is a fourth state of matter in the universe?" Anyone agree, disagree?

AgreedNi9lson 00:33, 3 January 2008 (UTC)

Introduction
Sorry but how can plasma be classified as a solid, liquid and a gas? Plasma is it's own state of matter, the 'next step up' from a gas. Even in the header a link to the wikipedia plasma article is provided, which barely mentions the word solid. Whoever wrote the introduction clearly has little understanding of what a plasma actually is.Jhackett6 11:31, 7 May 2011 (EDT)
 * If you see something you know is wrong, fix it. pestilence   Phil,  pestilence!  11:49, 7 May 2011 (EDT)


 * No, plasma is not a distinct phase of matter. Plasmic Physics 00:21, 8 May 2011 (EDT)


 * A quote from the very first line of the wikipedia article on plasma - "In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized." In no way is a plasma related to solids, and it only has some similarities with gases and liquids (such as having no definite shape unless in a container). Jhackett6 06:04, 8 May 2011 (EDT)