order parameters

Order parameters are measures used in physics to quantify the degree of organization or order in a system, especially during phase transitions like from liquid to solid. They provide a numerical value that indicates how structured the system is: zero typically means no order (disorganized), while a non-zero value shows the presence of some regular pattern or alignment. For example, in a magnet, the magnetization acts as an order parameter, indicating how aligned the tiny magnetic moments are. This helps scientists understand and compare different states of matter and how systems change under different conditions.