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In electrochemistry, electrode potential is the voltage of a galvanic cell built from a standard reference electrode and another electrode to be characterized. [1] By convention, the reference electrode is the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). It is defined to have a potential of zero volts. It may also be defined as the potential difference ...
During the early development of electrochemistry, researchers used the normal hydrogen electrode as their standard for zero potential. This was convenient because it could actually be constructed by "[immersing] a platinum electrode into a solution of 1 N strong acid and [bubbling] hydrogen gas through the solution at about 1 atm pressure".
The data below tabulates standard electrode potentials (E°), in volts relative to the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), at: Temperature 298.15 K (25.00 °C; 77.00 °F); Effective concentration (activity) 1 mol/L for each aqueous or amalgamated (mercury-alloyed) species; Unit activity for each solvent and pure solid or liquid species; and
The electric potential also varies with temperature, concentration and pressure. Since the oxidation potential of a half-reaction is the negative of the reduction potential in a redox reaction, it is sufficient to calculate either one of the potentials. Therefore, standard electrode potential is commonly written as standard reduction potential.
The connection can be direct, through a narrow tube to reduce mixing, or through a salt bridge, depending on the other electrode and solution. This creates an ionically conductive path to the working electrode of interest. A reference electrode is an electrode that has a stable and well-known electrode potential.
A reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) is a reference electrode, more specifically a subtype of the standard hydrogen electrodes, for electrochemical processes. Unlike the standard hydrogen electrode, its measured potential does change with the pH, so it can be directly used in the electrolyte. [1] [2] [3]
The formal potential is thus the reversible potential of an electrode at equilibrium immersed in a solution where reactants and products are at unit concentration. [4] If any small incremental change of potential causes a change in the direction of the reaction, i.e. from reduction to oxidation or vice versa , the system is close to equilibrium ...
The absolute electrode potential is then defined as the Gibbs free energy for the absolute electrode process. To express this in volts one divides the Gibbs free energy by the negative of Faraday's constant. Rockwood's approach to absolute-electrode thermodynamics is easily expendable to other thermodynamic functions.