stock and flow diagram

A stock and flow diagram illustrates how quantities of something change over time. "Stocks" are accumulations or reserves held at a specific moment, like water in a tank. "Flows" are the rates at which the stocks increase or decrease, such as inflow and outflow of water. These diagrams help visualize the dynamic process, showing how different factors interact to influence the level of stocks over time. They are commonly used in systems thinking, economics, and environmental sciences to analyze complex systems and their behavior.