Measuring Standard Electrode Potential

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To measure the standard electrode potential of metal ions, its electrode is connected to a standard hydrogen electrode via a salt bridge and a voltameter to show the readings. A salt bridge is an inverted U-tube containing a saturated solution of KNO₃ or KCl, its function is that it allows the migration of ions between two electrodes.

Electrode potentials are measured under the following standard conditions:

(i) concentration of the electrolyteAn electrolyte is a substance that dissociates in water into charged particles called ions. Positively charged ions are called cations. Negatively charged ions are called anions. Simply, an electrolyte is a... More in 1.0 mol dm^-3

(ii) gaseous reactant at one atmospheric pressure

(iii) temperature of the cell at 25°C or 298K

Under these conditions, the electrode potential is called standard electrode potential E^o . The superscript (^o ) stands for the standard state.