Thermotropic crystal
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139696919
2007-06-21T16:32:52Z
T-borg
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 139689895 by [[Special:Contributions/69.149.128.91|69.149.128.91]] ([[User talk:69.149.128.91|talk]]); test
A [[liquid crystal]] (LC) is '''thermotropic''' if the order of its components is determined or changed by temperature.
If temperature is too high, the rise in energy and therefore in motion of the components will induce a [[phase change]]: the LC will become an [[isotropic]] liquid.
If, on the contrary, temperature is too low to support a thermotropic phase, the LC will become a [[crystal]].
There is therefore a range of temperatures at which we observe thermotropic LCs; and most of these have several "subphases" ([[nematic]], [[smectic]]...), which we may observe by modifying the temperature.
==See also==
* [[Thermochromism]]
*[[Liquid_crystals#Thermotropic_liquid_crystals]]
==External links==
* http://www.tu-berlin.de/~insi/ag_heppke/clark/lcintro.htm
[[Category:Liquid crystals]]