Dissociation equilibrium refers to the state in a chemical reaction where the rate of a compound breaking down into its components equals the rate of those components recombining into the original compound. This balance means that the concentrations of the reactants and products remain constant over time, even though the reactions continue to occur in both directions. In many cases, dissociation equilibrium is represented by a reversible reaction, such as the dissociation of a salt in water. For example, when sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolves, it dissociates into sodium ions (Na⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻). At equilibrium, the number of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions remains stable, even as they continue to interact with each other and the water molecules.