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Nernst Equation definitions

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  • Nernst Equation
    Mathematical relationship linking cell potential to concentrations, temperature, and number of electrons transferred under nonstandard conditions.
  • Cell Potential
    Electrical potential difference between two electrodes, reflecting the driving force for electron flow in an electrochemical cell.
  • Standard Conditions
    Reference state with 1 M concentration, 25°C temperature, pH 7, and 1 atmosphere pressure for comparing cell potentials.
  • Standard Cell Potential
    Maximum voltage of an electrochemical cell when all reactants and products are at standard conditions.
  • Gas Constant
    Physical constant (8.314 J/mol·K) relating energy scale to temperature and amount of substance in thermodynamic equations.
  • Faraday's Constant
    Quantity of electric charge per mole of electrons, approximately 9.649 × 10⁴ coulombs per mole.
  • Reaction Quotient
    Ratio of product and reactant activities at any point, indicating the cell's position relative to equilibrium.
  • Equilibrium Constant
    Value of the reaction quotient when the system is at equilibrium, reflecting the extent of a reaction.
  • Gibbs Free Energy
    Thermodynamic quantity indicating the maximum reversible work obtainable from a chemical reaction at constant temperature and pressure.
  • Activity
    Effective concentration of a species in solution, accounting for non-ideal behavior via an activity coefficient.
  • Number of Electrons Transferred
    Integer representing how many electrons move between reactants in a redox reaction, affecting cell potential calculations.
  • Natural Logarithm
    Logarithmic function with base e, used in the Nernst equation to relate concentrations to cell potential.
  • Common Logarithm
    Logarithmic function with base 10, used for simplified calculations in the Nernst equation.
  • Dead Battery
    State where cell potential drops to zero as the electrochemical cell reaches equilibrium and can no longer produce current.
  • Redox Reaction
    Chemical process involving the transfer of electrons between species, fundamental to electrochemical cell operation.