An equilibrium is dynamic.

true or false

It is true; equilibria are not static.

True.

To understand why an equilibrium is dynamic, we need to understand the concept of equilibrium itself. Equilibrium refers to a state of balance or stability in a system, where the forces or factors influencing the system are in perfect balance, resulting in no net change.

In a dynamic equilibrium, although there may not be any visible change at a macroscopic level, there are continuous microscopic processes occurring within the system. These processes involve the forward and reverse reactions happening at the same rate, maintaining a constant concentration of reactants and products.

For example, let's consider a chemical reaction A ⇄ B. At the beginning, when there are only reactants A, the forward reaction occurs, converting A into B. As the concentration of B increases, the reverse reaction starts to take place, converting B back into A. At a certain point, the forward and reverse reactions occur at the same rate, resulting in a dynamic equilibrium where the concentrations of A and B remain constant.

Furthermore, in a dynamic equilibrium, the rates of the forward and reverse reactions are equal, but it's essential to note that the individual reactions themselves are still happening. The system is constantly shifting between reactants and products, but the overall concentrations remain unchanged.

Therefore, an equilibrium is dynamic because it involves continuous, opposing reactions occurring simultaneously, maintaining a balance within the system.