Question

What is the difference between the states of phase equilibrium and metastability?

Answer 1

Answer:

Metastability in electronics is the ability of a digital electronics system to persist for an unbounded time in an unstable equilibrium or metastable state. ... In metastable states, the circuit may be unable to settle into a stable '0' or '1' logic level within the time required for proper circuit operation.

Metastable state, in physics and chemistry, particular excited state of an atom, nucleus, or other system that has a longer lifetime than the ordinary excited states and that generally has a shorter lifetime than the lowest, often stable, energy state, called the ground state.