Module 5 : Electrochemistry
Lecture : 22 Free energy and EMF
 
Table 22.1 lists the standard electrode potentials of a number of half cells. In the standard electrodes, species in all forms (solids, liquids or gases) are present with unit activities, i.e., in their standard states. It is to be noted that emf is an intensive property and that the half cell 2H+ + 2e H2 (g) will have the same emf as eq (22.3) but the free energy change for this reaction will be twice the value for eq. (22.3), because rGo = - nFo and rGo is an extensive property depending on the number of moles of electrons transferred.
 
 Table 22.1 Standard electrode potentials at 298.15 K  

Electrode

             Half Cell Reaction

E o

Li + | Li

Li + + e = Li

-3.045

Mg 2+ | Mg

Mg 2+ + 2e = Mg

-2.37

Zn 2+ | Zn

Zn 2+ + 2e = Zn

-0.763

Fe 2+ | Fe

Fe 2+ + 2e = Fe

-0.440

Cd 2+ | Cd

Cd 2+ + 2e = Cd

-0.403

Ni 2+ | Ni

Ni 2+ + 2e = Ni

-0.250

H + | H2 | Pt

2 H + + 2e = H2

0.000

Br - | AgBr (s) | Ag

AgBr + e = Ag Br -

0.09

Cu 2+ , Cu +| Pt

Cu 2+ + e = Cu +

0.153

Cl - | AgCl (s) | Ag

AgCl + e = Ag + Cl -

0.2224

C l - | Hg 2Cl 2 (s) | Hg

Hg 2Cl 2 + 2 e = 2Hg + 2Cl -

0.268

Cu 2+ | Cu

Cu 2+ + 2e = Cu

0.337

OH - |O2 | Pt

O 2 + 2H 2O + 4e = 4 OH -

0.401

Cu+ | Cu

Cu + + e = Cu

0.521

Fe 3+ , Fe 2+ | Pt

Fe 3+ + e = Fe 2+

0.771

Ag + | Ag

Ag ++ e = Ag

0.79991

Br - | Br 2 (l) | Pt

Br2 (l) + 2e = 2Br -

1.0652

Cl - | Cl 2(g) | Pt

Cl 2 (g) + 2e = 2Cl

1.3595

F - | F 2(g) | Pt

F 2 (g) + 2e = 2F -

2.87