ABSTRACT
The relation of standard electrode potentials to standard thermodynamic quantities was considered. The simplest form of electrode consists of a metal in contact with a solution containing a salt of its own ions. The thermodynamic condition for the electrode equilibrium. Electrodes consisting of metals in equilibrium with their aquated ions will be considered first. The potential of such electrodes is given by the difference of the real solvation energy of the metal ion and the energy of the metal atom in the metal lattice. Thus the electrode potential is essentially determined by the difference of two large quantities. Electrodes in equilibrium with an anion in solution are either electrodes like the halogens or electrodes of the second kind like the silver/silver chloride electrode. Nevertheless, the question of single electrode potentials and their relation to other single ionic properties has existed since the early days of electrochemistry and interest in this question still remains active.
