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The 13th William Blum Lecture, Polarization

Author: Thomas Percy Hoar
Issue: , 1974

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"Polarization," in its simplest electrostatic sense, means "the separation of electric charge into + and - poles." We use the adjective "polarizable" in this sense in electrochemistry when we speak of an "easily polarizable ion," meaning an ion that under the influence of a strong electric field becomes dipolar by displacement of its electrons relative to its positive nucleus, and so readily adsorbable in the strong field at a metal/solution interface, or tightly held as a ligand by a charged cation; and also when we refer to a "perfectly polarizable electrode," meaning one that can sustain a considerable and varying degree of dipolar charge across the interface without passing any electric current. Generally, however, we use the term "polarization" in a looser but more specialized way to refer to the change of electric potential difference across an electrode interface (or across a thin film, or along a length of conductor) brought about by supplying (or subtracting) electric charge at one side (end) and not the other, so that the equilibrium initially existing across the interface (film, conductor) is disturbed and electric charge begins to pass through it.

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