Electrode potential Potential of a cell assembled of two electrodes can be determined from the two individual electrode potentials using or, equivalently, This follows from the IUPAC definition of the electric potential difference of a galvanic cell, according to which the electric potential difference of a cell is the difference of the potentials of the electrodes on the right and the left of the galvanic cell. When Δ"V" is positive, then positive electrical charge flows through the cell from the left electrode (anode) to the right electrode (cathode). Electrode potential Electrode potential, "E", in chemistry or electrochemistry, according to a IUPAC definition,
Standard electrode potential is sufficient to calculate either one of the potentials. Therefore, standard electrode potential is commonly written as standard reduction potential. The electrode potential cannot be obtained empirically. The galvanic cell potential results from a "pair" of electrodes. Thus, only one empirical value is available in a pair of electrodes and it is not possible to determine the value for each electrode in the pair using the empirically obtained galvanic cell potential. A reference electrode, standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), for which the potential is "defined" or agreed upon by convention, needed to be established. In this case SHE is set to