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In chemistry, chemical stability is the thermodynamic stability of a chemical system, in particular a chemical compound or a polymer. [ 1 ] Thermodynamic stability occurs when a system is in its lowest energy state , or in chemical equilibrium with its environment.
Stable stratification of fluids occurs when each layer is less dense than the one below it. Unstable stratification is when each layer is denser than the one below it. Buoyancy forces tend to preserve stable stratification; the higher layers float on the lower ones. In unstable stratification, on the other hand, buoyancy forces cause convection ...
Atmospheric instability is a condition where the Earth's atmosphere is considered to be unstable and as a result local weather is highly variable through distance and time. [ clarification needed ] [ 1 ] Atmospheric instability encourages vertical motion, which is directly correlated to different types of weather systems and their severity.
Atmospheric thermodynamics is the study of heat-to-work transformations (and their reverse) that take place in the Earth's atmosphere and manifest as weather or climate. . Atmospheric thermodynamics use the laws of classical thermodynamics, to describe and explain such phenomena as the properties of moist air, the formation of clouds, atmospheric convection, boundary layer meteorology, and ...
Turbulent mixing in stratified flows is described by mixing efficiency. This mixing efficiency compares the energy used in irreversible mixing, enlarging the minimum gravitational potential energy that can be kept in the density field, to the entire change in mechanical energy during the mixing process. It can be defined either as an integral ...
A metastable state of weaker bond (1), a transitional "saddle" configuration (2) and a stable state of stronger bond (3). In chemistry and physics, metastability is an intermediate energetic state within a dynamical system other than the system's state of least energy. A ball resting in a hollow on a slope is a simple example of metastability.
In chemistry, a steady state is a situation in which all state variables are constant in spite of ongoing processes that strive to change them. For an entire system to be at steady state, i.e. for all state variables of a system to be constant, there must be a flow through the system (compare mass balance). A simple example of such a system is ...
The atmospheric carbon cycle also strongly influences Earth's energy balance through the greenhouse effect, and affects the acidity or alkalinity of the planet's surface waters and soils. Despite comprising less than 0.05% of all atmospheric gases by mole fraction , [ 7 ] the recent rise in carbon concentrations has caused substantial global ...