Problem 14.15- Sixth Edition

[Kate_Santoso_4F]

Write the half-reactions, the balanced equation for the cell reaction, and the cell diagram for each of the following skeletal equations:
Part c) Cd(s) + 2Ni(OH)3 (s) --> Cd(OH)2 (s) + 2Ni(OH)2 (s)
The cell diagram in the answer key is the following:
Cd (s) | Cd(OH)2 (s) | KOH (aq) || Ni(OH)3 (s) | Ni(OH)2 (s) | Ni (s)
Why is KOH used in the diagram above instead of OH- (aq)?

[Jesse Kuehn 1B]

this is just because OH is not present alone in solution, it need another ion to "attach" to which comes in the form of K+ but it doesn't really affect anything as they are basically dissociate, just makes the problem look a lot more confusing