Definition
Equilibrim is the condition toward which a system will change in the absence of constraints. In a chemical system it is the state with the minimum Gibbs Free Energy.
The state of equilibrium is a common feature of all branches of physical science. It plays an important role when either chemical, mechanical, or electromagnetic phenomena are described. Three examples emphasizing chemical applications must suffice. Analytical and preparative chemists use equilibrium considerations to select the temperature and concentration ranges best suited for their work. Chemical and metallurgical processes are often designed on the basis of equilibrium calculations. Moreover, equilibrium models for the distribution of species in natural waters are frequently applied by geochemists.
As originally demonstrated by Gibbs, the concept of equilibrium is described in an entirely general way by classical thermodynamics (Gibbs 1875). Let us consider the contemporary treatment also based on the...
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References
Gibbs JW (1875) On the equilibrium of heterogeneous substances. In: The collected works of J. Willard Gibbs, vol I: Thermodynamics. Yale University Press, New Haven, p 56. Reprinted 1948
McGlashan ML (1979) Chemical thermodynamics. Academic, London, 345 pp
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Gamsjäger, H. (2017). Equilibrium. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_5-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_5-1
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