Economists use the term equilibrium in the same way as the word is used in physics, to represent a steady state in which opposing forces are balanced, so that the current state of the system tends to persist. In the context of supply and demand, equilibrium refers to a condition where the pressure for higher prices is exactly balanced by a pressure for lower prices, and thus that the current state of exchange between buyers and sellers can be expected to persist. When the price is such that the quantity supplied of a good or service exceeds the.
