Asked by: David, Kendal
The glowing beams of light in a plasma ball are the result of electric currents passing through gases like helium and neon at very low pressures. How the beams behave depends on where the current flows begin and end. Many plasma globes feature a central electrode, whose very high-voltage, high-frequency AC electricity creates the currents - and this leads them to flow outwards towards the walls of the globe.
Subscribe to BBC Focus magazine for fascinating new Q&As every month and follow @sciencefocusQA on Twitter for your daily dose of fun science facts.