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phase transition

phase transition

1 5.5
A change when a material goes from one state to another without a chemical change, like ice melting
  • noun
  • /feɪz trænˈzɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : transición de fase
  • When water boils, it undergoes a phase transition from liquid to gas.
  • undergo a phase transition
  • Phase transition occurs
  • symmetry-breaking phase transition

Anyway, as any fan of physics knows, when we have phase transitions, we're going to have say it with me, phase diagrams.

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Examples

  • We understand them, but there are some phase transitions in nature that scientists don't fully understand because they involve quantum mechanics.

  • The phase transition from solid to liquid requires heat to be absorbed by the substance.

  • So it's, it's clearly a phase transition in physics terms.

  • But it turned out to be extremely difficult to make reliable calculations of the phase transition temperature.

    Academic text (1996)
  • So the result is that the phase transition doesn't happen.

  • So these are the phase transitions of water on a molecular scale.

  • Raising the temperature to 900 K causes a phase transition to occur.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The freezing of water and melting of ice are among the most dramatic examples of phase transitions in nature.

    Academic text (2005)
  • So you know, like if you boil water on your stove, that's a phase transition and it produces bubbles of steam.

  • Freezing water into ice is an example of a phase transition that changes the state of matter.

Synonyms

physical change
vsphase transition
  • Specialized
4 3.4

A change where something changes state or appearance but stays the same substance

focuses specifically on changes of state rather than appearance
phase change
vsphase transition
  • Specialized
1 4.1

A material that moves from solid to liquid or gas without making a new substance

is the technical term for the same change in physical states
state change
vsphase transition
  • Specialized
4.1

A process where matter moves between solid, liquid, and gas without a chemical reaction

is the same scientific concept named differently

Surface Forms

Morphology

phase + transition

The meaning 'a change from one stage or state to another' is directly derivable from combining 'phase' (a stage) with 'transition' (a process of changing), so a learner who knows both words can infer the MWE's referent. Although often used in a technical (physics) context, the compound is fully compositional and has close cross‑linguistic equivalents (e.g. Spanish 'transición de fase'), which supports transparency.

Etymology

Phase transition comes from the simple picture of a material changing its phase by making a transition, like ice melting into water or water turning into steam. So, phase transition means a 'change of state'.