critical point
Share:
Tweet n. 1. Physics The temperature and pressure at which two phases, such as the liquid and gaseous phases, of a pure stable substance become identical. Also called critical state. 2. Mathematics A value in the domain of a given function at which the function has a derivative of zero or a derivative that does not exist. For example, 1 is a critical point for the function x2 - 2x and 0 is a critical point for the function |x |. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.