second-order phase transition

A second-order phase transition, also known as a continuous phase transition, is a physical process where a substance changes state without a distinct, abrupt change in properties throughout its entire volume. Unlike first-order transitions, these changes occur at a specific temperature or pressure, known as the critical point.1

An example of a second-order phase transition is when certain metals lose their ferromagnetic properties upon reaching their Curie point. The development of a general procedure for understanding these transformations was recognized with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1982.1