faasivahetust

Faasivahetus, often translated as phase transition, refers to a physical process where a substance changes from one state of matter to another. This occurs when the substance absorbs or releases energy, typically in the form of heat, leading to a change in its molecular arrangement and properties. The most common examples involve transitions between solid, liquid, and gaseous states.

The transition from solid to liquid is known as melting or fusion, occurring at a specific temperature called the melting point. Conversely, the transition from liquid to solid is called freezing or solidification, happening at the same temperature. The process of a liquid turning into a gas is called vaporization or boiling, which takes place at the boiling point. The reverse process, a gas becoming a liquid, is condensation.

More complex phase transitions exist, such as sublimation, where a solid directly transforms into a gas without passing through the liquid phase, and deposition, the reverse of sublimation. These transitions are fundamental in understanding the behavior of matter and are crucial in various scientific and industrial applications, from weather patterns and cooking to material science and chemical engineering. The specific conditions of temperature and pressure dictate which phase a substance will adopt and under what circumstances a phase transition will occur.