fuel cells: how do i work out which is the strongest reducing/oxidising agent out of the speicies in the equation with the most positive/negative electropotential in an electrochemical series?
fuel cells: how do i work out which is the strongest reducing/oxidising agent out of the speicies in the equation with the most positive/negative electropotential in an electrochemical series?
i come across it a lot, i dont have one with me but it asks "which is the strongest reducing agent in the table" and i dont know whether it's the reactant species or the product species of the most postivie electrode
i come across it a lot, i dont have one with me but it asks "which is the strongest reducing agent in the table" and i dont know whether it's the reactant species or the product species of the most postivie electrode
so as an international standard, The voltage in the table is always given as the reduction potential. i.e the energy of reduction.
So for a strong reducing agent (i.e itself is oxidized) do you think the reduction potential should be large ad positive or large and negative?
fuel cells: how do i work out which is the strongest reducing/oxidising agent out of the speicies in the equation with the most positive/negative electropotential in an electrochemical series?
By convention the equilibria are written as reductions
Zn2+(aq) + 2e <==> Zn(s) ................. Eº = -0.76 V
The negative sign here means that the equilibrium favours the reverse reaction when compared to the standard hydrogen electrode equilibrium. The reverse reaction provides electrons and therefore the Zn is a reducing agent.
Hence, the greater the negative Eº value the stronger the reducing capacity of the species on the RHS.
All vice versa for oxidising agents.
The greater the positive... the species on the LHS etc.