Transient equilibrium

Imagine you have a toy train running on a track that goes up a hill, then down the other side. When the train goes up the hill, it slows down because it has to work harder to move up. But when it reaches the top of the hill, it speeds up again because it has gravity helping it go down.

Transient equilibrium is kind of like that. It happens when something is moving or changing, but it hasn't reached a stable state yet. It's like the train going different speeds on the hill.

In science, we use the term transient equilibrium to describe situations where things are changing in a system, but the system is not yet in a state of balance or stability. For example, if you put a hot cup of tea in a cold room, the tea will cool down until it reaches the same temperature as the room. Until it reaches that temperature, it's in a state of transient equilibrium.

So, transient equilibrium is basically a fancy way of saying things are changing, but they're not stable yet. It's like trying to balance on one foot while your other foot is still moving - you're sort of balanced, but you're not really stable yet.