Homework Problem 14.27

[Jared Smith 1E]

I'm having some trouble understanding why we can't just add the two standard potentials together from the reactions to get the total. Why exactly do we convert everything to deltaG and back again?

[Jonathan Tangonan 1E]

We can't add the standard potentials together because E is not a state function. But, we can make use of delta G as being a state function through the addition of the delta G values of the half reactions and then solving for the desired half reactions standard potential through the equation delta G=-nFE.

[Jennie Fox 1D]

E is not a state function, so you can't simply add them together. G is a state function, so that is why we must convert to G.