Table 14.1

[Peter Dis1G]

Why can the oxidized species on the left side of the equation oxidize those reduced species below that oxidized species' equation? And why can the reduced species reduce the oxidized species lying above that reduced species? I know that the positive standard reduction potential tells us it's spontaneous but how does it play a role in being able to do the thing mentioned above?

[Julia Cheng 2J]

The more positive the reduction potential, the greater its ability to be reduced. Since the table is arranged in order of large to small reduction potential, it works out.