Final answer:
The typical gases used in plasma cutting of carbon steels are nitrogen and oxygen. These gases help in shielding the cut and increase the cutting speed while ensuring a high-quality cut face.
Step-by-step explanation:
The typical gas used in the plasma cutting of carbon steels would be nitrogen and oxygen. Acetylene is used in oxyacetylene torches for cutting and welding metals due to the high temperatures it can achieve when burned with oxygen. However, in plasma cutting, an electric arc is formed between an electrode and the metal to be cut, which ionizes gas passing around the electrode to create the plasma. Nitrogen, when used as a plasma gas for cutting steels, aids in shielding the cut and can help in achieving a high-quality cut face. Oxygen is often added to increase the cutting speed and achieve a better-squared cut edge.