energy landscape

An energy landscape is a way to visualize how a system's energy varies across different configurations or states. Imagine a hilly terrain where each point represents a possible state, and the height indicates the system's energy. Valleys correspond to stable states with low energy, while hills represent less stable, higher-energy states. The system tends to move toward the lowest points in this landscape, seeking stability. This concept helps scientists understand processes like protein folding, chemical reactions, and material behavior by showing how systems navigate through different states to reach equilibrium.