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Why only copper has positive standard electrode potential other all being negative in 3d series elements?
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Why only copper has positive standard electrode potential other all be...
Explanation: Why only copper has a positive standard electrode potential in 3d series elements?


The standard electrode potential (E°) of an element is the tendency of an atom to gain or lose electrons in a reaction. In the 3d series elements, copper is the only element that has a positive standard electrode potential, whereas all other elements have negative values. This is due to the following reasons:


  • Electronic Configuration: Copper has an electronic configuration of [Ar] 3d10 4s1, whereas all other elements in the 3d series have electronic configurations of [Ar] 3d1-9 4s2. The presence of a filled d-orbital in copper makes it more stable, and it requires less energy to remove an electron from the 4s orbital, resulting in a more positive standard electrode potential.

  • Effective Nuclear Charge: The effective nuclear charge increases from left to right in the 3d series. As a result, the attraction between the positively charged nucleus and the negatively charged electrons increases. This makes it more difficult to remove an electron from the atom, resulting in a negative standard electrode potential.

  • Ionization Energy: The ionization energy of copper is lower than that of other elements in the 3d series. This is because the energy required to remove an electron from the 4s orbital is lower due to the presence of a filled d-orbital. This results in a more positive standard electrode potential.


Therefore, the unique electronic configuration of copper, along with its low ionization energy and effective nuclear charge, results in a positive standard electrode potential, which is not observed in other elements in the 3d series.
Community Answer
Why only copper has positive standard electrode potential other all be...
See....copper has lower tendency than hydrogen to form ions,so if the standard hydrogen electrode is connected to the copper half cell,the copper will be relatively less negative. The copper electrode has relatively lower number of electrons. so..it has positive electrode potential.
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Why only copper has positive standard electrode potential other all being negative in 3d series elements?
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