Cell Diagrams Reactants and Products

[Erika Patel 3I]

When writing cell diagrams, I thought that reactants were always written first and then products, however this isn't the case in all of the textbook problems. Could someone explain why this is and how to tell when you need to write products before reactants?

[Nancy Duenas Dis 1D]

In cell diagrams, it's common to write reactants first and then products. However, in certain cases, like in galvanic cells where the reaction is spontaneous, products are written before reactants. This is because these cells operate spontaneously, so the products are essentially driving the reaction. To determine when to write products before reactants, consider the specific context of the problem and whether the reaction is spontaneous or not. Just consider the context of the problem to decide the order.