Electrode potential Electrode potential Electrode potential, "E", in chemistry or electrochemistry, according to a IUPAC definition, is the electromotive force of a cell built of two electrodes: The SHE is defined to have a potential of 0 V, so the signed cell potential from the above setup is SHE is cathode and electrode is anode Electrode potential appears at the interface between an electrode and electrolyte due to the transfer of charged species across the interface, specific adsorption of ions at the interface, and specific adsorption/orientation of polar molecules, including those of the solvent. Electrode potential is the electric potential on an
Electrode potential that only the magnitude expressed according to the convention (2) be called "the electrode potential". To avoid possible ambiguities, the electrode potential thus defined can also be referred to as "Gibbs–Stockholm electrode potential". In both conventions, the standard hydrogen electrode is defined to have a potential of 0 V. Both conventions also agree on the sign of "E" for a half-cell reaction when it is written as a reduction. The main difference between the two conventions is that upon reversing the direction of a half-cell reaction "as written", according to convention (1) the sign of "E" also switches, whereas in