Thermodynamic Definition of Equilibrium

Definition

In thermodynamics, equilibrium refers to the state where there's no net change in energy within an isolated system; meaning both heat and work transfers between parts cease.

Related terms

Entropy:

This is a measure of disorder or randomness in a system, like if those kids on the seesaw start moving around unpredictably.

Enthalpy:

It's the total heat content of a system, similar to how warm those kids feel after playing on the seesaw for a while under the sun.

Gibbs Free Energy:

This is an indicator of whether a reaction will occur spontaneously - like if one kid suddenly jumps off, causing an unbalanced force that makes the other kid go down (a spontaneous reaction).