
13
The Critical Point
13.1 Overview
Now we address one of the most profoundof phenomena in Thermodynamics as well
as Statistical Mechanics, namely, Critical Phenomena. In plain terms, this is a study
of the occurrence of the so called critical points and their properties. In this book
we have encountered critical points in many different contexts. We start by briefly
recalling these contexts as this will not only put the contents of this chapter in its
proper perspective, but also give the reader an idea of the great importance of this
topic.
At the earliest instance, we noted in section 4.2 that at the critical point in the
phase diagram of water, the ...