- #1
Conductivity
- 87
- 4
Probably the title wasn't really clear. What I am asking for is an explanation.
Isn't the potential of the electrode is created by a combination of ions and electrons? and we can't possibly measure the absolute potential. However, we can measure it relative to other electrodes such as hydrogen.
So why do we use the electrode potential to predict if a reaction will happen or no? In this example, imagine you have a bowl made out of ##Fe## and you have ##Cu^{+2} ## in it. Obviously a reaction will happen.. and you can predict that using the standard potentials. But as I said earlier, The potential is created by a combinations of ions and electrons. However we have only ions here.
So does the electrode potential actually refer to how much voltage an electron gains when it moves from infinitely far away to an ion? and the opposite happens if it is reduction?
Why is that? I also know that voltage is an intensive property for electrode.
P.S The problem with this topic is not that I am not able to solve its problem but me not knowing what happens in atomic scales
Isn't the potential of the electrode is created by a combination of ions and electrons? and we can't possibly measure the absolute potential. However, we can measure it relative to other electrodes such as hydrogen.
So why do we use the electrode potential to predict if a reaction will happen or no? In this example, imagine you have a bowl made out of ##Fe## and you have ##Cu^{+2} ## in it. Obviously a reaction will happen.. and you can predict that using the standard potentials. But as I said earlier, The potential is created by a combinations of ions and electrons. However we have only ions here.
So does the electrode potential actually refer to how much voltage an electron gains when it moves from infinitely far away to an ion? and the opposite happens if it is reduction?
Why is that? I also know that voltage is an intensive property for electrode.
P.S The problem with this topic is not that I am not able to solve its problem but me not knowing what happens in atomic scales