Equivalent Exchange
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In the fictional Fullmetal Alchemist anime series, Equivalent Exchange (等価交換 Tōka Kōkan?) is a concept quoted and often treated as a law of nature by alchemists, most notably the Elric Brothers. Equivalent Exchange is used in alchemy, and most closely resembles the law of conservation of matter of Antoine Lavoisier, one of the founders of modern chemistry. In the world of Fullmetal Alchemist, conservation of energy seems to be an unknown concept, thus other scientific laws such as Albert Einstein's E=mc² and the laws of thermodynamics do not directly apply; at least they appear that way until later in the series.
The alchemists treat Equivalent Exchange as a physical law placing limitations on transmutation and as a philosophical law they apply in attempts to explain the world.
| Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. —Alphonse Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist |
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[edit] Final conclusion about the law from the anime
| Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only, truth. But the world isn't perfect, and the law is incomplete. Equivalent Exchange doesn't encompass everything that goes on here. But I still choose to believe in its principle: that all things do come at a price. That there's an ebb, and a flow, a cycle. That the pain we went through did have a reward and that anyone who's determined and perseveres will get something of value in return, even if it's not what they expected. I don't think of Equivalent Exchange as a law of the world anymore. I think of it as a promise between my brother and me - a promise that someday, we'll see each other again. —Alphonse Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist |
Fullmetal Alchemist examines the truth and accuracy of Equivalent Exchange. Edward and Alphonse finally conclude that the world is too complex and too imperfect for any one law to explain everything. It is also said that there is no equivalency in trading a life for a life, implying that the creation or use of a Philosopher's Stone is inherently immoral, but the series does not say that directly. Of course theres always the part of law that states that certain use of the law cannot be lawful.
[edit] Human transmutation
Complete human transmutation using alchemy is not possible under the law of Equivalent Exchange. Even though they have the knowledge of what elements make up a human body, one's soul could not be transmuted along with the artificial body. Equivalent Exchange does not apply for a life, since one life doesn't always equal another. Failed attempts at human transmutation create homunculi, or created humans that do not have a soul. They sometimes have some memories of the ones that they were meant to be. The anime states that these memories are probably just the aspirations of the alchemist who created the homunculus implanted in its mind. However, other characters suggested it may be because the Homunculus is just an incomplete version of the person they were meant to be.
When created, they do not have a true human shape, and are merely piles of flesh, but as time passes and as they eat Red Stones, their body gains a human form (namely, the one they were supposed to be when the alchemist that created them attempted a human transmutation).
The series does not explain the nature of: human transmutation, the Gate of Alchemy, its workings, the relation of deceased human souls to the gateway, creatures in the gate explained, and their relationship to a homunculus (if any).
As far as human transmutation, the series shows that it is possible through the Philosopher's Stone to create a perfect human body and to attach souls to bodies. The only component of human transmutation never shown is the extraction of the soul of a deceased human from the gate.
[edit] Philosopher's Stone
| The Philosopher's Stone: those who possess it, no longer bound by the laws of Equivalent Exchange in Alchemy, you gain without sacrifice, create without Equal Exchange. We searched for it, and we found it. —Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist |
The Philosopher's Stone is thought by alchemists to allow the keeper to bypass Equivalent Exchange. The stone actually provides a way for the energy of human souls to be stored and channelled as a direct source of energy and material for transmutations. When the Philosopher's Stone is used, a certain number of souls are used up and taken away, lessening the stone's power, and eventually the number of souls deplete fully, and the stone erodes away. It is possible through transmutation to turn an inanimate object or even a person into the stone. For example, Scar transferred the array onto Alphonse's armor, and then used the array to perform the Grand Arcanum, which created the stone out of Alphonse's armor. But when an object or body is transformed, it will decay and disappear in proportion to the erosion of the stone. It was also suggested in the series that if one of the homunculi were to consume an object that was turned into the stone, the stone would revert to its perfect crystal form, which is why Dante orders Gluttony to consume Al to form a complete stone in his stomach.
In the manga version, a Philosopher's Stone is instrumental in creating homunculi. Human components are gathered around the Philosopher's Stone and then transmuted into the homunculus.
[edit] Comparisons to contemporary science
[edit] Thermodynamics
The scientific laws of thermodynamics draws a similarity to the alchemist law of equivalent exchange. The first law of thermodynamics states that energy can be converted from one form to another but cannot be created or destroyed. This shows the example of how obtaining something, or transmuting something through alchemy, requires material of equal value in order to operate.
The second law of thermodynamics continues on with the context of entropy, where there is a certain amount of energy that cannot be used for any work or process. Even alchemical processes are not immune to entropy, as most alchemists are required to create a transmutation circle. Though the circle can be repeatedly used (as it is simply a gateway equation to allow alchemical energy to be channeled), the power that is drawn from the transmutation circle equation cannot be apparently used to "create" or "destroy" matter. For alchemists that have seen the Gate of Alchemy, the knowledge of transmutation without a circle is gained and can "channel" alchemical energy directly. However this energy, with or without a circle, still comes from the same source: the lives that die on the other side of the gate. These lives power the energy required for alchemical reactions and completes the alchemist law of Equivalent Exchange.
[edit] Modern chemistry
Much of today's modern chemistry does evolve from the study of alchemy. As a result, when alchemical processes are explained in the anime (such as Roy Mustang's ability to conjure up flames on his finger tips), they are explained through modern chemistry and chemical terminology. This results in a hybrid system that integrates alchemy and chemistry very tightly. Chemistry is used to explain the process and result of the transmutation while alchemy is used to perform the transmutation. Left unexplained by chemistry is the nature of the alchemic power that allows the reactions to take place.
A more specific example of the "Law of Equivalent Exchange" being "followed" is the equilibrium process. For example, in a reaction between Magnesium and Oxygen, the synthesis between the two elements create Magnesium Oxide. As the synthesis reaction occurs until it reaches its peak, decomposition then takes place. Synthesis and decomposition occur at different rates for some time before reaching equilibrium. That is, both processes are occurring at the exact same rate. So in keeping within the "Equivalent Exchange" law, no energy was lost or gained.
[edit] See also
- TANSTAAFL is a concept that one cannot get anything for "free" because of price of any "free" commodity is being paid by someone else in a closed system. But it is a concept whose truth is always subjective based on how its boundaries are drawn. Its use is problematical in relation to Fullmetal Alchemist because its universes and worlds are shown to not be closed physical systems. Energy is flowing in one direction out of one "universe" and into another. The Energy in question is for the most part the byproduct of the natural process of death in the other world.
| Fullmetal Alchemist | |
|---|---|
| Common characters: | Edward Elric | Alphonse Elric | Winry Rockbell | Scar | Izumi Curtis | Hohenheim | Minor |
| Anime-only characters: | Dante | State Military | Homunculi | Minor |
| Manga-only characters: | Main | State Military | Homunculi | Minor |
| Media: | Anime (Episode list | Voice casts) | Manga | OVAs | Conqueror of Shamballa | Video games (characters) | Trading cards |
| Items/Concepts: | Alchemy | Automail | Chimera | Equivalent Exchange | Gate of Alchemy | Philosopher's Stone | State Alchemist | Transmutation circle |
| Locations: | Amestris | Ishbal | Lab 5 | Lior |
