Why is equilibrium important?

When one talks about “equilibrium,” it simply refers to a balanced or stable state.  This condition can usually be applied to the field of chemistry, which involves the study of chemical composition, structure, and behavior.  When considering chemicals, for example, they are considered to be in a state of equilibrium when there is technically no change in their components despite the forces that may act on them.  This particular state or balance is very hard to achieve and/or maintain making it very important for some applications.

The state of equilibrium when applied to the body’s cells is referred to as “homeostasis.”  Under this particular condition, the body’s cells and its components are maintained in such a way that there is no significant or net change inside the cell despite chemical exchanges with the surrounding bodily fluids.  The body is said to attain equilibrium when the fluids are maintained isotonically, and this simply means that cells work in such a way that waste products are moved out at the same rate as new components come in.  If the force of the waste materials going out is basically equalized with new component materials coming in, the cells and the surrounding fluids in the body are said to be in a balanced or unchanged state.  By being able to achieve this equilibrium or balance, the body is considered to be at its optimum level which makes this condition very important.

The condition of balance may also be demonstrated in terms of the muscles working together for a person to maintain a so-called balanced position.  Like in the case of relaxed standing, various muscles actually contribute to maintaining the body erect.  While other muscles contract to maintain the balanced position, other muscles relax to maintain this state.  With various applications, especially to the field of science, equilibrium is considered a very important property or state.