Corrosion & Environmental Degradation
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· The diagram illustrates the steady state behavior of a "reversible electrode" in contact with a molar concentration of an electrolyte of its ions. Both the forward and reverse reactions are taking place at the same rate and:           Cu <-> Cu2+ + 2e
·The configuration represents a "standard half cell" for measuring the electrode potential of this material. A salt bridge is used to make electrical connection between this electrolyte and the electrolyte for the hydrogen reference electrode.
·In establishing this steady state situation, a change in the Gibbs free energy of the system, DG, occurs. If n is the number of electrons involved in establishing the equilibrium condition and the electrode potential is V, then:       DG = - nFV
where F is the Faraday constant (9.65 x 104 Coulombs per mole of electrons), the process occurring at constant (p, T). DG is path independent as G is a thermodynamic parameter. 
From: M.G. Fontana,
"Corrosion Engineering,"
Wiley (1986)