overpotential

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *úp

Proto-Indo-European *-er

Proto-Indo-European *upér

Proto-Germanic *uber

Old English ofer-

Middle English over-

English over-

Proto-Indo-European *pótis

Proto-Italic *potis

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti

Proto-Italic *-ējō

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁tiinflu.

Proto-Italic *-ēō

Proto-Italic *potēō

Proto-Italic *potēnts

Latin potēns

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós

Proto-Italic *-ijos

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -iusnom.

▲

Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā)influ.

Latin -ia

Latin potentia

Proto-Indo-European *h₂el-

Proto-Indo-European *-is

Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.?

Proto-Italic *-ālis

Latin -ālis

Late Latin potentialisder.

English potential

English overpotential

From over- + potential.

Pronunciation

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Noun

overpotential (plural overpotentials)

2. (physics) The difference between the electric potential of an electrode or cell under the passage of a current and the thermodynamic value of the electrode or cell potential in the absence of electrolysis.

   Synonym: overvoltage

   • 1998 June 12, Erik Reddington et al., “Combinatorial Electrochemistry: A Highly Parallel, Optical Screening Method for Discovery of Better Electrocatalysts”, in Science‎^[1], volume 280, number 5370, →DOI, pages 1735–1737:

     One of the factors that limits their development and use is that known anode and cathode electrocatalysts produce useful current densities only at high overpotentials.