 |
|
| A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
|
|
equilibrium
A stable state in which forces acting on a particle or object cancel each other out, resulting in no net force. While thought of as a state of balance or rest, an object with constant velocity is also said to be in equilibrium.
The concept originated in ancient Greece when Archimedes experimented with levers in balance, literally "equilibrium". The idea was elaborated through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the birth of modern mathematics and physics in the 17th and 18th centuries. "Equilibrium" has come to mean pretty much the same thing as stability, i.e., a system that is largely unaffected by internal or external changes since it easily returns to its original condition after being perturbed. A system is defined to be in equilibrium, or thermodynamic equilibrium, when it has the maximum possible amount of entropy.
Related categories
• CHAOS, COMPLEXITY, AND DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS
• CLASSICAL MECHANICS
Also on this site:
Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy & Sustainable Living
Encyclopedia of History
Transport Concepts & Designs (partner site)