In physics, when forces acting on an object are balanced or cancel each other out, we say that the object is in a state of equilibrium. There are two types of equilibrium: static and dynamic. Static equilibrium occurs when an object is at rest, while dynamic equilibrium occurs when an object is moving at a constant velocity.

To understand forces in equilibrium, it's essential to work with vector diagrams. A vector diagram is a graphical representation of the forces acting on an object, where the length and direction of the arrows represent the magnitudes and directions of the forces, respectively.

In order for an object to be in equilibrium, the sum of all the forces acting on it must be zero. This means that the forces must be balanced, and there is no net force acting in any direction. Mathematically, we can represent this condition by adding up all the forces using vector addition. If the sum of the forces is zero, the object is in equilibrium.

Let's take the example of a book resting on a table. The force due to gravity is pulling the book downward, while the normal force exerted by the table is pushing the book upward. These two forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction, so the book remains at rest. If there were any additional unbalanced forces acting on the book, it would move either up or down depending on the direction of the net force.

Tags: equilibrium, vector diagrams, balanced forces