Thermodynamic equilibrium half-cell relation

The free energies in (18) are illustrated in Fig. 10. It can be seen that GA is that part of AG ° available for driving the actual reaction. The importance of this relation is that it allows AGXX Y to be calculated from the properties of the X and Y systems. In thermodynamics, from a list of n standard electrode potentials for half cells, one can calculate j (m — 1) different equilibrium constants. Equation (18) allows one to do the same for the %n(n— 1) rate constants for the cross reactions, providing that the thermodynamics and the free energies of activation for the symmetrical reactions are known. Using the... 

The half-cell potentials hsted in Table 17.1 are thermodynamic parameters that relate to systems at equilibrium. For example, for the discussions pertaining to Figures 17.2 and 17.3, it was tacitly assumed that there was no current flow through the external circuit. Real corroding systems are not at equilibrium there is a flow of electrons from anode to cathode (corresponding to the short-circuiting of the electrochemical cells in Figures 17.2 and 17.3), which means that the half-cell potential parameters (Table 17.1) cannot be applied. 

Potentiometric measurements are based on the Nernst equation, which was developed from thermodynamic relationships and is therefore valid only under equilibrium (read thermodynamic) conditions. As mentioned above, the Nernst equation relates potential to the concentration of electroactive species. For electroanalytical purposes, it is most appropriate to consider the redox process that occurs at a single electrode, although two electrodes are always essential for an electrochemical cell. However, by considering each electrode individually, the two-electrode processes are easily combined to obtain the entire cell process. Half reactions of electrode processes should be written in a consistent manner. Here, they are always written as reduction processes, with the oxidised species, O, reduced by n electrons to give a reduced species, R ... 

In an electrochemical cell a redox reaction occurs in two halves (see Topic B4). Electrons are liberated by the oxidation half reaction at one electrode and pass through an electrical circuit to another electrode where they are used for the reduction. The cell potential E is the potential difference between the two electrodes required to balance the thermodynamic tendency for reaction, so that the cell is in equilibrium and no electrical current flows. E is related to the molar Gibbs free energy change in the overall reaction (see Topic B3) according to... 

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