Consider the general oxidation of a species A in solution: A → A+ + e-. The term oxidation potential is sometimes used to describe the ease with which species A is oxidized- the easier a species is to oxidize, the greater its oxidation potential.
(a) What is the relationship between the standard oxidation potential of A and the standard reduction potential of A+?
(b) Which of the metals listed in Table 4.5 has the highest standard oxidation potential? Which has the lowest?
(c) For a series of substances, the trend in oxidation potential is often related to the trend in the first ionization energy. Explain why this relationship makes sense.