electric potential difference, ΔV

of a galvanic cell
abbreviation: emf
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E01934
Difference in the potentials of electrodes on the right and left of a galvanic cell. When ΔV is positive, positive charge flows from left to right through the cell.
Note:
The limiting value of Ecell for zero current flowing through the cell, all local charge transfer and chemical equilibria being established, was formerly called emf (electromotive force). The name electromotive force and the symbol emf are no longer recommended, since a potential difference is not a force.
Sources:
Green Book, 3rd ed., p. 71 [Terms] [Book]
PAC, 1996, 68, 957. (Glossary of terms in quantities and units in Clinical Chemistry (IUPAC-IFCC Recommendations 1996)) on page 971 [Terms] [Paper]
Citation: 'electric potential difference' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.E01934 RIS BibTex EndNote
Div. IDiv. VIIPDFTextXMLJSON
Last revised: February 24, 2014