Standard electrode potentials

Electricity from chemical change

Electromotive

force (e.m.f.) the push that a cell is able to provide to a current flowing through it (volts) Standard electrode potentials (SEP) the potential difference of a half-cell relative to the standard hydrogen electrode

Zn(s) Zn2+(aq) + 2eCu2+(aq) + 2e- Cu(s)

oxidation reduction

The electrochemical cell

The reaction releases energy (lost as heat) if the process is carried out in a single reaction vessel.

The zinc electrode decreases in mass but the copper electrode increases

A high-resistance voltmeter is used so that negligible current flows, and therefore the maximum potential difference is being measured.

Half-cell notation

These should be DOTTED lines

Ecell is directly proportional to the total entropy change in a reaction.

Reverse this one!

Calculating the e.m.f.

Reverse

the least positive value Zn Zn2+ + 2e E = -0.76V Cu2+ + 2e Cu E = +0.34V Overall reaction: Cu2+ + Zn2+ Cu + Zn Ecell= +0.34 (-0.76) = 1.10V For a reaction to be feasible,
the Ecell value must be positive. Once the value reaches about +0.6V, the reaction is very likely to progress.

REMEMBER: The e.m.f. is independent of the number of electrons being transferred (so dont change the value when balancing equations!)

http://ibchem.com/IB/ibnotes/full/red_htm/19.1.htm

The standard hydrogen electrode

Reference

half-cell Used to measure other electrode potentials Consists of hydrogen gas at 1atm pressure and 298K bubbling through an inert platinum electrode in 1.00 mol dm-3 H+(aq) ions.
2H+(aq, 1.00 mol dm-3) + 2eH2(298K, 1atm) E = 0.00V

Measuring standard electrode potentials

Electrons flow towards the positive electrode

The stronger reducing agent with the more negative Ecell is on the RHS of the equation.

The stronger oxidising agent with the more positive Ecell is on the LHS of the equation.

Conditions and conventions

All

solutions have unit activity (1.00 mol dm-3) All measurements are made at 1atm pressure All measurements are made at 298K

 If

Ecell > +0.6V reaction should go to completion If 0 < Ecell < +0.6V PRODUCTS predominate If -0.6V < Ecell < 0 REACTANTS predominate If Ecell < -0.6V no reaction
The reaction is not affected by the quantity of materials in the reacting mixture

Limitations
A

reaction with a positive Ecell may not actually take place gives no indication of reaction rate The reaction conditions may be very different from standard conditions SEPs apply to aqueous equilibria, but there are many reactions that take place that are not in aqueous solutions