ELECTROMOTIVE SERIES

"A tabulation on which various substances, such as metals or elements, are listed according to their chemical reactivity or standard electrode potential. It is usually ordered with increasing standard electrode potentials (most negative on top). For metals, the order indicates the tendency to spontaneously reduce the ions of any other metal below it in the series (see cementation). During electrolytic reduction of cations (e.g., electroplating) an element lower in the series (more positive) will deposit first, and an element higher in the series (more negative) will deposit only when the solution is practically depleted of the ions of the first element. Also called ""electrochemical series"" and ""galvanic series."" "