A phase transition occurs when for example, heat is applied continuously to a liquid and after a certain time it converts into a gas.
How does this process work in detail? Is their a chain reaction that causes to liquid to reach a 'critical' point? Does the liquid synchronizes in some specific vector, facilitating the phase transition? Finally could it be that the liquid thermodynamically self organizes into a state that causes the transition?
To paraphrase, what exactly is a 'phase-transition' what occurs before, during and after one?
Any additional comments you think would help explain this phenomenon to me would be great.