equilibrium
part of speech
noun (equilibrium, uncountable; equilibria, rare plural)
meaning for a pupil
1) Equilibrium is a state of balance in which opposite forces or amounts are equal, so nothing changes: "the scales are in equilibrium". tree →
2) Equilibrium is a calm, steady state of mind: "she lost her equilibrium". tree →
3) (science) In chemistry and nature, equilibrium is when changes in two directions happen at the same rate. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science lessons on forces, an object is in equilibrium when the pushes and pulls on it cancel out, so it stays still or keeps moving steadily. In maths, a balanced equation is like scales in equilibrium: what you do to one side, you do to the other. Phrases: in equilibrium, reach equilibrium, lose your equilibrium.
examples
- The see-saw is in equilibrium when both children weigh the same. tree →
- The forces on the book on the table are in equilibrium. tree →
- Add 3 to both sides to keep the equation in equilibrium. tree →
- After the shock, it took him a while to regain his equilibrium. tree →
- A tightrope walker must keep her equilibrium. tree →
- The water in the two tanks reached equilibrium. tree →
note
Formal and scientific; everyday word: balance. Pronounced "ee-kwi-LIB-ree-um". In forces, equilibrium does not always mean still: it can mean moving at a steady speed in a straight line.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «equilibrium» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.