Free energy electrical work and

In Chapter 20, we discussed the relationship of useful work, free energy, and the equilibrium constant. In this section, we examine this relationship in the context of electrochemical cells and see the effect of concentration on cell potential. 

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Thermodynamics has countless applications other than the expansion of gases to run steam engines. In fact, probably within your reach right now are a laptop computer, IVIP3 player, cell phone, and/or wristwatch, which represent one type of application. Metal-plated jewelry and silverware represent the other. These are a few of the objects you use every day that rely on a major field in applied thermodynamics— electrochemistry, the study of the relationship between chemical change and electrical work. We typically study this relationship with electrochemical cells, systems that incorporate a redox reaction to produce or utilize electrical energy. In this chapter, we examine the essential features of the two types of electrochemical cells as well as the quantitative relationship between free energy and electrical work. 

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