Here’s a explanation:
The Standard Hydrogen Electrode (SHE) is a reference electrode used to measure the electrode potential of other electrodes.
Key points:
- It consists of a platinum electrode in contact with 1 M H⁺ ions (acid solution) and hydrogen gas at 1 atm pressure.
- The temperature is usually 25°C.
- By convention, the electrode potential of SHE is defined as 0 volts.
Purpose:
- It is used as a reference to compare the tendency of other electrodes to gain or lose electrons.
Remember simply:
- SHE = “Hydrogen electrode, standard conditions, 0 volts.”
- Other electrodes are measured against it to find their potential.