Consider the electrochemical cell represented by standard zinc and copper half-cells. Which of the following changes will lead to an increase in the cell potential measured under non-standard conditions according to the Nernst equation?

💡 Solution & Explanation

According to the Nernst equation for a galvanic cell, the cell potential increases when the concentration of reactant products decreases or when the concentration of reactants in the cathode reduction half-reaction increases, such as raising copper ion concentration. Increasing zinc ion concentration at the anode or decreasing copper ions would shift the reaction quotient and lower the net cell voltage. Standard cell potential is an intensive property and does not depend on the stoichiometric coefficients used to balance the redox equation.