What does the term 'overpotential' refer to in electrochemistry?
Practice Questions
Q1
What does the term 'overpotential' refer to in electrochemistry?
The potential difference required to drive a reaction
The maximum potential of a cell
The potential at which equilibrium is reached
The energy lost as heat
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What does the term 'overpotential' refer to in electrochemistry?
Step 1: Understand that electrochemistry involves reactions that occur at electrodes.
Step 2: Know that every electrochemical reaction has an equilibrium potential, which is the voltage at which the reaction is balanced and does not proceed in either direction.
Step 3: Realize that sometimes, to make the reaction happen faster or to overcome obstacles, we need to apply more voltage than the equilibrium potential.
Step 4: This extra voltage that we apply is called 'overpotential'.
Step 5: Overpotential is important because it helps us understand how much extra energy is needed to drive the reaction effectively.
