Equilibrium

Finishing off this week's one-word blog topics, today's subject is NOT a new drug for attention-deficit disorders, but a term we use in the physical sciences (and sometimes in math). Here's the symbol:

It means that things are stable. A reaction is not going on; things are not changing; everything is at the same temperature, etc.

In economics, it's a word used to describe a constantly-maintained balance between supply and demand, so prices aren't fluctuating, there are no shortages, and no inflation. No surplus, no deficit.

In populations, equilibrium is reached as one person dies and another is born at the same moment.

Utopia might be a synonym for equilibrium. I hope equilibrium represents the state of affairs somewhere. It certainly doesn't reflect reality here on earth.

Reality contains some events called "Accident" and "Greed" and "Selfish" and "Disaster" which result in "Inflation" and "Stagflation" and "Deflation" while shaking up any equilibrium that ever accidentally happens.

Here's a final graphic for you, to represent the relationships of today's topic:

A shorter word that sums up much of this concept is SHARE. Or EVENLY DISTRIBUTE.

In case you were wondering why we would have to worry about equilibrium in the classroom, here is Kid Math expressed through the words of a Lazy Town cartoon character named Stingy:

"One for me and one for you
and wait - give that back! 
and one for me and another for me 
and one more for me. 
And this broken one for you."