What is "chemical equilibrium"

n. (context chemistry English) The state of a reversible reaction in which the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are the same

n. a chemical reaction and its reverse proceed at equal rates [syn: equilibrium]

In a chemical reaction, chemical equilibrium is the state in which both reactants and products are present in concentrations which have no further tendency to change with time. Usually, this state results when the forward reaction proceeds at the same rate as the reverse reaction. The reaction rates of the forward and backward reactions are generally not zero, but equal. Thus, there are no net changes in the concentrations of the reactant(s) and product(s). Such a state is known as dynamic equilibrium.