Studying Phase Transition With a Strain Gage

Many physical substances undergo phase transitions when subject to changes in environmental parameters. The transition of ice into water and water into steam are familiar examples. Similarly, chromium undergoes a phase transition at a specific temperature, called the N´eel temperature changing its magnetic order from the anti-ferromagnetic to the para-magnet state. This magnetic reordering is accompanied by a change in volume. In other words, the phase transition is a magneto-elastic phenomenon. In this experiment, we study the phase transition of chromium by directly measuring the volume change. Several important thermodynamical concepts will also be navigated.