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

While CDWs have been studied for many years, researchers have struggled to directly observe how their strength and spatial coherence change during a phase transition.

From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026

Non-equilibrium phase transition: a change in the state of a system that occurs when it is not in thermal equilibrium, often driven by external forces or energy input.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2024

Understanding the electromagnetic properties of the QGP may help physicists unravel the mysteries of the phase transition between QGP and ordinary nuclear matter made of protons and neutrons.

From Science Daily • May 17, 2024

The agents change from a disordered to an ordered state in what is called a "phase transition."

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2024

Later work has also cast doubt on whether there could be a phase transition in the very early universe of the kind required.

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