Gleichgewichts

Gleichgewichts is the genitive form of Gleichgewicht, a German noun meaning balance or equilibrium. In technical usage it appears as a stem in compounds to describe a state, process, or condition characterized by balance between opposing influences.

In science, Gleichgewicht denotes a state in which driving forces cancel and macroscopic properties stop changing. In thermodynamics, a system is in equilibrium when macroscopic variables remain constant over time. In chemistry, dynamic chemical equilibrium occurs when the forward and reverse reaction rates are equal, yielding constant concentrations; the position of equilibrium is described by the equilibrium constant K and is temperature dependent. Phase equilibria involve the coexistence of different phases (for example, liquid and gas) in balance at a given temperature and pressure.

In economics, Gleichgewicht refers to market balance where supply equals demand, leading to an equilibrium price (Gleichgewichtspreis) and equilibrium quantity. Such conditions form the baseline for analyses of price formation and efficiency in competitive markets.

In mathematics and biology, the term extends to dynamical systems and living organisms. Equilibrium points describe states that do not change under the system’s dynamics, with stability concepts distinguishing whether nearby states converge to or diverge from the equilibrium. In biology, notions related to homeostasis reflect the maintenance of a stable internal milieu, sometimes described in terms of equilibrium-like balance.

Common compound terms include Gleichgewichtsreaktion (a reversible chemical reaction at equilibrium) and Gleichgewichtszustand (state of balance). The word thus spans disciplines, carrying the core idea of balance between competing forces or processes.