Abstract The chemical equilibrium state has been studied from the late XVIII century to the present day, showing epistemological changes and quantitative refinements in its modeling. This article, of a qualitative and philosophical nature, aims to examine the conformation and transformation of the proposed theoretical models of the chemical equilibrium state over time. For this purpose, we reconstruct and analyze a contextual and diachronic historiography on the modeling of the chemical equilibrium state (19 th century - present). The historiography is based on historical sources and historiographical studies. The epistemological analysis is carried out under the postulates of the philosophical school of semantic conception and specifically, under the interpretation of the constructive empiricism of Bas van Fraassen. Among the results, the historical development reveals an epistemological transition from classical mechanics to conceptual structures of chemistry derived from experimental practice. Likewise, the paper highlights that scientific progress in chemistry is determined as much by the evolution of representational strategies as by empirical discoveries. In this sense, this work offers a nuanced understanding of the construction and refinement of theoretical equilibrium models, providing a valuable contribution to the academic community on the quantitative nature of chemical scientific knowledge.
Ortega et al. (Mon,) studied this question.