Standard Electrode Potential Example
Imagine you have two metals: zinc and copper.
- Zinc loves to lose electrons, so its standard electrode potential is negative (around -0.76 volts).
- Copper, on the other hand, prefers to stay as ions and not lose electrons, so its standard electrode potential is positive (around +0.34 volts).
Now, if you connect these two metals in a solution where zinc ions are present (like zinc sulfate solution), and you let them interact through a wire, electrons will flow from zinc to copper. This is because zinc is more “eager” to lose electrons compared to copper. This flow of electrons generates electricity, and you can use it to power devices.
So, in simple terms, the standard electrode potential tells you which metal is more likely to lose or gain electrons.
Standard Electrode Potential
Standard electrode potential (E°) is a measure of the tendency of a half-reaction to occur as a reduction at a standard condition. In the context of standard electrode potential, “standard conditions” refer to a set of specific conditions under which the potential is measured. It includes standard concentration of all aqueous species to be 1 mol/L, pressure to be 1 atm and temperature to be 25℃ or 298K.
In this article, we will learn in detail about standard electrode potential, its formula, construction, factors affecting and applications.
Table of Content
- What is Standard Electrode Potential?
- Standard Electrode Potential Formula
- Construction of Standard Electrode Potential
- Difference Between Electrode Potential and Standard Electrode Potential
- Factors Affecting Electrode Potentials
- Standard Electrode Potential Example
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