Question

What is meant by Nernstian behavior of an indicator electrode?

Short answer

When the indicator electrode exhibits Nernstian behavior, that indicates it obeys the Nernst equation and changes its potential by 0.059 /nV.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1.  Concept Introduction

Potentiometric titration is a simple method for determining the concentration of a given material. In these titrations, no indicator is necessary.

An indicator electrode's Nernstian behavior states that it follows the Nernst equation and changes its potential by 0.059 /nv.

Step 2. Explanation of the concept.

In potentiometric titrations, an indicator electrode is a type of electrode. It's a type of endpoint indication. Indicator electrodes include membrane electrodes and metallic electrodes. The Nernst equation corresponds to Nernstian behavior. The Nernstian behavior of the indicator electrode indicates that it follows the Nernst equation. In other words, when the concentration changes, the potential of the indicator electrode changes by 0.059 /nV, where n is the number of electrons involved in the reaction.