Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Phase Transitions02:31

Phase Transitions

22.6K
Whether solid, liquid, or gas, a substance's state depends on the order and arrangement of its particles (atoms, molecules, or ions). Particles in the solid pack closely together, generally in a pattern. The particles vibrate about their fixed positions but do not move or squeeze past their neighbors. In liquids, although the particles are closely spaced, they are randomly arranged. The position of the particles are not fixed—that is, they are free to move past their neighbors to...
22.6K
Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition02:33

Phase Transitions: Sublimation and Deposition

19.7K
Some solids can transition directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid state, via a process known as sublimation. At room temperature and standard pressure, a piece of dry ice (solid CO2) sublimes, appearing to gradually disappear without ever forming any liquid. Snow and ice sublimate at temperatures below the melting point of water, a slow process that may be accelerated by winds and the reduced atmospheric pressures at high altitudes. When solid iodine is warmed, the solid sublimes...
19.7K
Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing02:39

Phase Transitions: Melting and Freezing

14.6K
Heating a crystalline solid increases the average energy of its atoms, molecules, or ions, and the solid gets hotter. At some point, the added energy becomes large enough to partially overcome the forces holding the molecules or ions of the solid in their fixed positions, and the solid begins the process of transitioning to the liquid state or melting. At this point, the temperature of the solid stops rising, despite the continual input of heat, and it remains constant until all of the solid is...
14.6K
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation02:39

Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation

20.7K
The physical form of a substance changes on changing its temperature. For example, raising the temperature of a liquid causes the liquid to vaporize (convert into vapor). The process is called vaporization—a surface phenomenon. Vaporization occurs when the thermal motion of the molecules overcome the intermolecular forces, and the molecules (at the surface) escape into the gaseous state. When a liquid vaporizes in a closed container, gas molecules cannot escape. As these gas phase molecules...
20.7K
Entropy02:39

Entropy

34.9K
Salt particles that have dissolved in water never spontaneously come back together in solution to reform solid particles. Moreover, a gas that has expanded in a vacuum remains dispersed and never spontaneously reassembles. The unidirectional nature of these phenomena is the result of a thermodynamic state function called entropy (S). Entropy is the measure of the extent to which the energy is dispersed throughout a system, or in other words, it is proportional to the degree of disorder of a...
34.9K
Entropy07:32

Entropy

19.0K
Source: Ketron Mitchell-Wynne, PhD, Asantha Cooray, PhD, Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Physical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA
The second law of thermodynamics is a fundamental law of nature. It states that the entropy of a system always increases over time or remains constant in ideal cases when a system is in a steady state or undergoing a "reversible process." If the system is undergoing an irreversible process, the entropy of the system will...
19.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Inference of entropy production for periodically driven systems.

Physical review. E·2025
Same author

Uncovering nonequilibrium from unresolved events.

Physical review. E·2024
Same author

Mutual Linearity of Nonequilibrium Network Currents.

Physical review letters·2024
Same author

Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics of the Majority Vote Model.

Entropy (Basel, Switzerland)·2023
Same author

Beat of a current.

Physical review. E·2023
Same author

Obtaining efficient collisional engines via velocity-dependent drivings.

Physical review. E·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Phase Transitions and Effect of Intermolecular Forces
02:31

Phase Transitions and Effect of Intermolecular Forces

22.6K

Entropy production as a tool for characterizing nonequilibrium phase transitions.

C E Fernández Noa1, Pedro E Harunari1, M J de Oliveira1

  • 1Instituto de Física da Universidade de São Paulo, 05314-970 São Paulo, Brazil.

Physical Review. E
|September 11, 2019
PubMed
Summary

Entropy production characterizes nonequilibrium phase transitions, revealing system irreversibility. Continuous and discontinuous transitions exhibit unique entropy production hallmarks, aiding classification.

More Related Videos

Sublimation, Deposition and Enthalpy Changes
02:33

Sublimation, Deposition and Enthalpy Changes

19.7K
Melting and Freezing; Energetics of Melting and Fusion
02:39

Melting and Freezing; Energetics of Melting and Fusion

14.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 19, 2026

Phase Transitions and Effect of Intermolecular Forces
02:31

Phase Transitions and Effect of Intermolecular Forces

22.6K
Sublimation, Deposition and Enthalpy Changes
02:33

Sublimation, Deposition and Enthalpy Changes

19.7K
Melting and Freezing; Energetics of Melting and Fusion
02:39

Melting and Freezing; Energetics of Melting and Fusion

14.6K

Area of Science:

  • Statistical Mechanics
  • Nonlinear Dynamics
  • Complex Systems

Background:

  • Equilibrium phase transitions are well-characterized by order parameters.
  • Nonequilibrium systems possess irreversible dynamics that influence transition properties.
  • Entropy production is a key metric, being zero in equilibrium and positive out of equilibrium.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize nonequilibrium phase transitions using entropy production.
  • To bridge the gap in understanding irreversible dynamics' role in phase transitions.
  • To establish a general framework for classifying these transitions.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of both discontinuous and continuous phase transitions.
  • Inclusion of regular and complex topologies.
  • Application of mean-field theory (MFT) and beyond MFT.
  • Focus on Z_{2} symmetry systems.

Main Results:

  • Entropy production provides a distinct hallmark for different types of phase transitions.
  • A general description of entropy production portraits for Z_{2} symmetry systems under MFT was developed.
  • The majority vote model was used to exemplify predictions.

Conclusions:

  • Entropy production offers a systematic way to describe and classify nonequilibrium phase transitions.
  • This approach highlights the system's irreversibility.
  • The findings provide a new perspective on understanding complex system dynamics.