It is well known that water freezes at 0°C at atmospheric pressure. The mixture of liquid water and ice at 0°C is said to be at stable equilibrium since it cannot undergo any changes when it is isolated from its surroundings. However, when water is free of impurities and the inner surfaces of the container are smooth, the temperature of water can be lowered to 22°C or even lower without any formation of ice at atmospheric pressure. But at that state even a small disturbance can initiate the formation of ice abruptly, and the water temperature stabilizes at 0°C following this sudden change. The water at 22°C is said to be in a metastable state. Write an essay on metastable states and discuss how they differ from stable equilibrium states.