Write an essay on electrode potentials.

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F7 Essay Writing (Electrode Potentials)

Q.        Write an essay on electrode potentials.

Outlines:

(I)        What are electrode potentials?

        (a)        associated with equilibria of redox systems (half cells):

                e.g.  metal / metal ion system ; non-metal / ion system ; ion / ion system;

        (b)        reactivity, tendency for reduction to occur (losing electrons) and potential difference;

        (c)        the potential difference of a half cell cannot be measured alone, but a relative         value         could be measured with another reference half cell / reference electrode;

        (d)        a standard hydrogen electrode [SHE] (in which the emf is defined as zero) is         used as the reference electrode;

(II)        How are electrode potentials measured?

        (a)        concentration, temperature and pressure affect the emf of SHE, and the standard         electrode potentials are obtained under conditions of 298K, 1 atm and conc. of 1M.

        (b)        set up a cell with SHE and a salt bridge of electrolyte (e.g. KNO3);

        (c)        a potentiometer is used to measure the cell emf (maximum potential difference), and         the sign of cell emf = polarity of the right hand electrode.

(III)        How are electrode potentials used? / Application of electrode potentials?

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        (a)        calculation of cell emf ;

        (b)        prediction of reaction feasibility and limitations.


~ Sample Essay ~

An electrode potential is the difference in an potential between an electrode and its surrounding electrolyte.  It is always referred to a “zero point” defined by the potential of a reference electrode (e.g. standard hydrogen electrode).  Electrode potential is an important measurement in the realm of electrochemistry, and it is particularly useful in the prediction of the energetic feasibility of redox reactions as well as calculation of electromotive force (emf) of electrochemical cells.

What are electrode potentials?

Given a metal ...

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This is an extremely well explained report on electrochemical cells. The author explains how a cell works with incredible clarity and very helpful equations and diagrams. The paragraphs may seem long and slightly daunting, but are necessary for the author to get their point across. Overall, this piece of work is 5 stars out of 5