Consider the voltaic cell based on the following reaction:
Two students are assigned to measure the standard cell potential. Yvonne claims that both solutions of ions have to be at exactly 1.00 M concentration, but Zelda is sure that the measurement will be the same if the concentrations of the two solutions are equal, but not necessarily 1.00 M. What do you think? (The temperature is controlled at 25 $\circ$ C, so that's not an issue.)

Question

Consider the voltaic cell based on the following reaction:  
Two students are assigned to measure the standard cell potential. Yvonne claims that both solutions of ions have to be at exactly 1.00 M concentration, but Zelda is sure that the measurement will be the same if the concentrations of the two solutions are equal, but not necessarily 1.00 M. What do you think? (The temperature is controlled at 25 $\circ$ C, so that's not an issue.)

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Nernst equation, the cell potential depends on the concentrations of the ions involved in the reactions. Therefore, Zelda is correct in that the concentrations of the solutions do not need to be exactly 1.00 M, as long as they are equal, the cell potential will be the same. Standard cell potentials are defined for solutions at 1.00 M concentration, but this is not a requirement for measuring cell potentials in general.

Consider the Voltaic Cell Based on the Following Reaction ∘\circ∘ C, So That's Not an Issue

Consider the Voltaic Cell Based on the Following Reaction $\circ$ C, So That's Not an Issue