Wiki Word:  Equilibrium

Definition: A state of rest or balance due to equal actions of opposing forces.

 "Equi" - in Latin, it means "equal".

 "Libra"- in Astronomy terms, means balance or scales like the constellation between Virgo

                and Serpens.

 Put the two together and you've got equilibrium, which is the result of EQUAL-BALANCE in nature. For example, we learned way back in the begining of the year about water bottle rockets and how they use air pressure and water as thrust to propell itself upward. But even if there was air pressure and water in the bottle, how does that make the rocket launch? Well, that would be an act in breaking equilibrium. You see, air likes to flow from HIGH to LOW (as Mrs. Flynt preaches so much about :D ) meaning that HIGH concentration of air pressure likes to flow to LOW concentration and in the bottle, the compressed air (which is a HIGH) wants to move out for more room (the reason there is water used is because of how you can't really get anywhere without thrust). But since equilibrium always wants to be in balance in nature, than the unbalanced force of compressed air and no external force holding in down would cause nature to launch the rocket and bring things back to equilibrium.

 This image shows that a ball on a string                    This image shows how equlibrium is unbalanced

cannot have equilibrium when it is above a               because of the gymnists mass is only on one side.

pole because it goes aginst the force of gravity.                                       

 This term applies a lot to our Rocket, Motion, and Forces section in science. For example, in the begining of the year, we learned about rocket cars (which use a expanded air balloon to thrust

 itself forward for motion). This explained to us how equilibrium was unbalanced inside the balloon and how it quickly changed back because of the expanded balloon contrasting back to its original shape and giving equilibrium back its balance. The experiment for testing the rocket cars was very educational and gave us helpful ideas for how we could use equilibrium for the greater goods in life. Some day, I believe we could use it to go to mars without any gas or oil to fuel or maybe even to farther away places.

 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equilibrium