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physical phenomena > process > physical process > phase transition > second order phase transition

second order phase transition comparison table

Subject	is a kind of	has definition
phase transition	physical process	An abrupt change in the equilibrium state of a system. A sudden transition between one state of matter or energy and another state. For example, when hot water turns to steam or when ice crystallizes out of a liquid that has been cooled to below freezing, a phase transition has occurred. According to the grand unified theories of particle physics, the infant universe may have undergone one or more overall phase transitions. In this case, the energy uniformly filling all space corresponded to the supercooled liquid.
second order phase transition	phase transition	A phase transition where one phase evolves into the other as the temperature changes, so the two phases never coexist.

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