In [[physics]] and [[chemistry]], a '''degree of freedom''' is an independent physical [[parameter]] in the formal description of the state of a [[physical system]]. The set of all states of a system is known as the system's [[phase space]], and the degrees of freedom of the system are the [[dimension]]s of the phase space. | In [[physics]] and [[chemistry]], a '''degree of freedom''' is an independent physical [[parameter]] in the formal description of the state of a [[physical system]]. The set of all states of a system is known as the system's [[phase space]], and the degrees of freedom of the system are the [[dimension]]s of the phase space. |