Critical variable

Template:Short description Critical variables are defined, for example in thermodynamics, in terms of the values of variables at the critical point.

On a PV diagram, the critical point is an inflection point. Thus:

${\left(\frac{\partial P}{\partial V}\right)}_C=0$

${\left(\frac{{\partial }^{2}P}{\partial V^2}\right)}_C=0$

For the van der Waals equation, the above yields:

$P_C=\frac{a}{27b^2}$

$V_C=3nb$

$T_C=\frac{8a}{27bR}$