order of phase transition
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order of phase transition
(′örd·ər əv ′fāz tran′zish·ən)
(thermodynamics) A phase transition in which there is a latent heat and an abrupt change in properties, such as in density, is a first-order transition; if there is not such a change, the order of the transition is one greater than the lowest derivative of such properties with respect to temperature which has a discontinuity.
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