define equilibrium between water and ice
). When the rate of freezing is the same as the rate of melting, the amount of ice and the amount of water won't change on average (although there are short-term fluctuations at the surface of the ice). The ice and water are said to be in dynamic equilibrium with each other. The balance between freezing and melting can be maintained at 0Â°C, the melting point of water, unless conditions change in a way that favors one of the processes over the other. The balance between freezing and melting processes can easily be upset. If the ice/water mixture is cooled, the molecules move slower.