The critical point is the moment when something crucial occurs or something must be done to avoid it.
The critical point is the precise moment in which something important happens or needs to be done. Depending on the context , the expression can refer to different issues.
For example: "We are reaching a critical point: if we do not receive support from investors, we will have to close the company" , "National security is at a critical point due to the reduction of the budget in the Defense area" , "The professor asked us to find out the critical point of different substances."
Critical point in everyday language
In everyday language, therefore, the critical point is referred to as a turning point: if there is no corresponding response, the state of things after the critical point becomes very different.
Suppose a hospital building is in poor condition due to lack of maintenance. The director of the hospital can warn the authorities that they are reaching a "critical point" , since the structure is at risk of collapsing. Given this warning, the logical thing is for the government to intervene and carry out repair works to avoid the danger. On the other hand, if you do not act in time, it is possible that the building ends up collapsing, causing great damage and causing the death of many people.
When the densities of a liquid and a vapor are equal, it is called a critical point.
The concept in chemistry and physics
In the field of chemistry and physics , the moment at which the densities of a vapor and a liquid are equal is known as the critical point. This critical point is discovered by simultaneously measuring the density of a vapor and that of a liquid according to temperature : in a moment, these densities will equalize.
When the measurement of the density of the liquid and that of the vapor are carried out as a function of temperature, the representation of the results can lead to the determination of the critical temperature , starting from the point at which the two curves intersect. This other concept, for its part, is the maximum temperature at which it is possible to liquefy a miscible gas (that can be mixed) by compression; In other words, even if the temperature increases, the gas cannot be condensed by increasing the pressure.
If we make a graph to represent the variation of the freezing point, the sublimation temperature and the boiling point of a given substance, which will take place as a result of changes in pressure, its curves will be found in what is known as the name triple point . If we start from this point and look for the other end of the curve corresponding to the boiling point, we will find the critical point.
Critical point in mathematics
For mathematics , a function of a real variable (real numbers include irrational numbers, which cannot be expressed as a fraction of integers, and rational numbers, where negative, zero, and positive numbers are found) finds its critical point at any value prevents the function from being differentiable or causes its derivative to be zero. This value, for its part, is called critical .
Every value belonging to the co-domain of a function that, in turn, is the image of any critical point of it, is also one of its critical values. The visualization of this concept can be done through a graph, in which the representation of a tangent is not possible, or it is a horizontal or vertical line .
A novel by Michael Crichton
"Critical Point" , finally, is the title in Spanish of a novel that Michael Crichton published in 1996 . The story belongs to the genre of science fiction and touches on delicate topics such as sensationalism , the manipulation of the truth by journalism, bureaucracy and economic interests.
The center of the plot is a plane crash in which many people die, and the company's attempts to hide the facts to avoid negative repercussions .