Ehrenfest classification of phase transitions

E735842

phase transition classification scheme thermodynamic theory concept

The Ehrenfest classification of phase transitions is an early theoretical scheme that categorizes phase transitions by the order of discontinuity in thermodynamic derivatives, such as entropy or specific heat, at the transition point.

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Statements (44)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	phase transition classification scheme ⓘ thermodynamic theory concept ⓘ
aim	to systematize different kinds of phase transitions ⓘ
appliesTo	equilibrium phase transitions ⓘ
assumes	analyticity of thermodynamic potentials away from the transition ⓘ equilibrium thermodynamics ⓘ
basedOn	order of discontinuity of thermodynamic derivatives ⓘ
characterizes	phase transitions ⓘ
context	classical thermodynamics of homogeneous systems ⓘ
contrastsWith	classification by order parameter behavior ⓘ classification by symmetry breaking ⓘ
criterion	order of the lowest thermodynamic derivative that is discontinuous at the transition ⓘ
defines	first-order phase transition ⓘ higher-order phase transition ⓘ second-order phase transition ⓘ
describes	discontinuity in entropy for first-order transitions ⓘ discontinuity in higher-order derivatives for higher-order transitions ⓘ discontinuity in specific heat for second-order transitions ⓘ
evaluatedAs	conceptually useful but quantitatively limited ⓘ
field	condensed matter physics ⓘ statistical mechanics ⓘ thermodynamics ⓘ
hasKeyIdea	order of phase transition equals order of lowest discontinuous derivative of free energy ⓘ
historicalPeriod	early 20th century ⓘ
influenced	development of modern phase transition theory ⓘ
limitation	does not adequately describe continuous phase transitions with diverging correlation length ⓘ fails for transitions where all finite-order derivatives are continuous but non-analytic ⓘ
namedAfter	Paul Ehrenfest NERFINISHED ⓘ
notWellSuitedFor	Kosterlitz–Thouless transitions NERFINISHED ⓘ critical phenomena near second-order transitions ⓘ
relatedTo	Clausius–Clapeyron equation NERFINISHED ⓘ Ehrenfest equations NERFINISHED ⓘ
requires	well-defined thermodynamic potentials as functions of state variables ⓘ
status	historically important but largely superseded ⓘ
supersededBy	Landau theory of phase transitions NERFINISHED ⓘ modern theory of critical phenomena ⓘ renormalization group theory ⓘ
usedIn	early literature on ferromagnetism ⓘ early literature on superconductivity ⓘ
usesConcept	Gibbs free energy NERFINISHED ⓘ entropy ⓘ order of derivative ⓘ specific heat ⓘ thermodynamic potential ⓘ

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Paul Ehrenfest → notableWork → Ehrenfest classification of phase transitions ⓘ