phase transition
Americannoun
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phase transitions
plural
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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.
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See also state of matter thermodynamics
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The discovery does not yet settle the question of what caused the universe's last major phase transition.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 30, 2026
These included metals such as copper, noble gases under extreme pressure such as argon in crystalline state, and the complex solid-solid phase transition of tin.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 15, 2026
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 researchers also demonstrate that they can use non-Gaussian states to prepare 'critical' quantum states which correspond to a system undergoing a phase transition.
From Science Daily ● May 24, 2024
In this there is no phase transition or supercooling.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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