Skip to main content

Phase Transition

  • 203 Accesses

Definition

Matter in the universe generally exists in one of four phases (states in which matter has essentially uniform physical properties): plasma, gas, liquid, and solid. The transition between each phase has an associated name (Fig. 1). Transitions can also occur within the solid phase.

Fig. 1
figure 1

The four phases of matter and the transitions between them

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References and Further Reading

  • McQuarrie DA, Simon JD (1997) Physical chemistry: a molecular approach. University Science, Sausalito

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Henderson James Jim Cleaves II .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this entry

Cite this entry

Cleaves, H.J.J. (2014). Phase Transition. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_4020-3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_4020-3

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Phase Transition
    Published:
    30 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_4020-4

  2. Original

    Phase Transition
    Published:
    05 May 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_4020-3