Electromotive Series (Noun)
Meaning
A serial arrangement of metallic elements or ions according to their electrode potentials determined under specified conditions; the order shows the tendency of one metal to reduce the ions of any other metal below it in the series.
Classification
Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects.
Examples
- The electromotive series can be used to predict the feasibility of redox reactions involving various metal ions and elements.
- To better understand electrochemistry, chemists refer to the electromotive series when evaluating possible chemical reactions and metal interactions.
- According to the electromotive series, copper will spontaneously oxidize and displace iron from an iron(II) ion solution, illustrating their positions within the series.
- Positions within the electromotive series show which elements have higher affinities for gaining or losing electrons and where metals or their ions stand relative to others in this process.
- As certain metal elements shift between oxidized and reduced states within chemical reactions, knowing the relative position in the electromotive series greatly simplifies electrochemical problem solving.