m, ek-wuh-]
. | 1. | a state of rest or balance due to the equal action of opposing forces. |
| 2. | equal balance between any powers, influences, etc.; equality of effect. |
| 3. | mental or emotional balance; equanimity: The pressures of the situation caused her to lose her equilibrium. |
| 4. | Chemistry. the condition existing when a chemical reaction and its reverse reaction proceed at equal rates. |
A condition in which all influences acting cancel each other, so that a static or balanced situation results. In physics, equilibrium results from the cancellation of forces acting on an object. In chemistry, it occurs when chemical reactions are proceeding in such a way that the amount of each substance in a system remains the same. (See chemical equilibrium.)
equilibrium e·qui·lib·ri·um (ē'kwə-lĭb'rē-əm, ěk'wə-)
n.
A condition in which all influences acting upon it are canceled by others, resulting in a stable, balanced, or unchanging system.
The state of a chemical reaction in which its forward and reverse reactions occur at equal rates so that the concentration of the reactants and products does not change with time. Also called dynamic equilibrium.
Mental or emotional balance.