Evaluation of Formal Potentials

Evaluation of Formal Potentials 12.3.3.1. Involving Stable Reactants and Products. 

It is important to obtain experimental information on the thermodynamics of electrode processes to ascertain the tendency of a particular reaction to occur under a given set of experimental conditions namely temperature, pressure, system com H)sition and electrode potential. Such information is provided by the standard- or formal-electrode potentials for the redox couple under consideration. Appropriate combinations of these potentials enable the thermodynamics of homogeneous redox processes to be determined accurately. However, such quantities often are subject to confusion and misinterpretation. It is, therefore, worthwhile to outline their significance for simple electrochemical reactions. This discussion provides background to the sections on electrochemical kinetics which follow. The evaluation of formal potentials for various types of electrode-reaction mechanisms is dealt with in 12.3.2.2. 

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