Electrolytic cell reaction which would not occur spontaneously otherwise. A galvanic cell can be considered an electrolytic cell acting in reverse. While electrolytic cells convert electrical energy into chemical energy, galvanic cells convert chemical energy into electrical energy. Galvanic cells are often used in batteries. Michael Faraday defined the cathode of a cell as the electrode to which cations (positively charged ions, like silver ions Ag) flow within the cell, to be reduced by reacting with electrons (negatively charged) from that electrode. Likewise he defined the anode as the electrode to which anions (negatively charged ions, like chloride ions Cl) flow within
Standard hydrogen electrode Standard hydrogen electrode The Standard hydrogen electrode (abbreviated SHE), is a redox electrode which forms the basis of the thermodynamic scale of oxidation-reduction potentials. Its absolute electrode potential is estimated to be at 25 °C, but to form a basis for comparison with all other electrode reactions, hydrogen's standard electrode potential ("E") is declared to be zero volts only at 298K. Potentials of any other electrodes are compared with that of the standard hydrogen electrode at the same temperature. Hydrogen electrode is based on the redox half cell: This redox reaction occurs at a platinized platinum electrode. The electrode is