Which of the following is true regarding phase transitions?

Phase transitions involve shifts between different states of matter, such as solid to liquid or liquid to gas. During these transitions, the system can experience significant changes in properties, one of which is the chemical potential. The chemical potential can be understood as the change in free energy when an additional particle is introduced to the system.

In phase transitions, the chemical potential of a substance changes as it moves between different phases because each phase has distinct thermodynamic properties and behaviors. For example, when ice melts to water, the chemical potential of water at the melting point is equal to that of ice; however, as you heat the water, its chemical potential continues to rise. This difference in chemical potential is a critical factor in determining the direction of a phase transition.

The other options do not accurately characterize phase transitions. For instance, while Gibbs energy changes do relate to phase transitions, a complete phase transition does not necessarily always depend solely on Gibbs energy. Furthermore, phase transitions do not always lead to changes in composition; rather, it is possible to have a transition where the chemical makeup remains unchanged (like ice melting to water). Lastly, phase transitions are often influenced by both temperature and pressure, not just temperature alone. Therefore, the option highlighting the influence of phase transitions