phase transition

American  

[fayz-tran-zish-uhn] / ˈfeɪz trænˌzɪʃ ən /

noun

plural

phase transitions

1. Physical Chemistry. the change from one phase of a substance to another, such as from solid to liquid.

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phase transition Scientific  

1. A change in a feature of a physical system that results in a discrete transition of that system to another state. For example, the melting of ice is a phase transition of water from a solid phase to a liquid phase. Phase transitions often involve the absorption or emission of energy from the system; ice, at 0 ° Celsius, must absorb a considerable amount of heat energy to become water.

2. See also state of matter thermodynamics

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Example Sentences

"For the first time, we've seen a superfluid undergo a phase transition to become what appears to be a supersolid," said Dean.

From Science Daily • Feb. 5, 2026

Second, they used statistical mechanics to mathematically predict the behavior of the puffs, using techniques from phase transition physics.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

However, building on their earlier work, the team showed that fluids move through a pipe in a non-equilibrium phase transition, known as directed percolation, at the transition point between laminar and turbulent flow.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

The material exhibits displacive-type ferroelectric behavior, where the displacement of ions during the phase transition leads to the creation of a permanent dipole moment within the material.

From Science Daily • Apr. 25, 2024

One common example of a phase transition is the freezing of water when you cool it down.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking