Question

Explain the term phase transition point with an example.

Answer 1

Hint: By phase change or the phase transition, here we are meant to discuss the phase change due to the change in temperature and the phase change example can be easily understood if we understand the phases individually.

Complete answer:
When we talk about the phase of matter, we refer to the three phases of matter, solid, liquid and gas. This means that at a particular temperature, the intermolecular attraction of that particular matter is either weak or strong and depending on that, the matter exists in either the solid phase or the liquid phase or the gaseous phase.

When the temperature is low, the molecular attraction or interaction is restricted which results in a strong intermolecular force of the molecules of the matter. When this happens, the material is in its rigid phase or the solid phase.When the temperature increases, the intermolecular forces weaken and at a particular temperature – known as the melting point – the phase of the matter changes to a liquid.

With further increase in temperature, the intermolecular attraction further decreases and at a particular temperature known as the boiling point, the matter further changes its form to the gaseous form. This is the complete explanation of the phase transition of a matter with a stepwise example.

Note:The complete explanation of the boiling point and the melting point is available in the topic of the kinetic energy of molecules and the topic also discusses the behaviour of various magnetic materials with temperature.