Demonstration by Radioactive Tracers of the Adsorption of Cations by Metals

• DOI: 10.1038/170665a0
• Publication Date: 2006-10-26T13:39:18Z
• Authors: J. PALACIOS; A. BAPTISTA
• Keywords: Electromotive force; Potential difference

THE electromotive force of a primary electric cell is still explained by Nernst's theory, which only considers the case of a metal and its own cations. We have developed a more general theory1, based on the hypothesis that the electrode potentials are due to the adsorption of cations. To emphasize the difference between the two theories, it is only necessary to say that, according to our view, all the individual potentials ought to be negative.