# Criticality

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**Criticality** may refer to:

## Physics terms

- [Critical phenomena](/source/Critical_phenomena), the collective name associated with the physics of critical points - [Critical point (thermodynamics)](/source/Critical_point_(thermodynamics)), the end point of a phase equilibrium curve - [Quantum critical point](/source/Quantum_critical_point), a special class of continuous phase transition that takes place at absolute zero

### Nuclear-physics terms

- [Criticality (status)](/source/Criticality_(status)), the state in which a [nuclear chain reaction](/source/Nuclear_chain_reaction) is self-sustaining - [Prompt criticality](/source/Prompt_criticality), the criticality that is achieved with [prompt neutrons](/source/Prompt_neutron) alone - [Critical mass](/source/Critical_mass), the minimum [mass](/source/Mass) of the nuclear reactor's fissionable material that can achieve criticality
- [Criticality accident](/source/Criticality_accident), an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction
- [Nuclear criticality safety](/source/Nuclear_criticality_safety), the prevention of nuclear and radiation accidents resulting from an inadvertent, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction

## Other terms

- [Critical thinking](/source/Critical_thinking), in education
- [Criticality index](/source/Criticality_index), in risk analysis
- [Criticality matrix](/source/Criticality_matrix), a representation (often graphical) of failure modes along with their probabilities and severities
- [Self-organized criticality](/source/Self-organized_criticality), a property of (classes of) dynamical systems which have a critical point as an attractor
- [Critical point](/source/Critical_point_(disambiguation))

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