Editing Nernst equation (section)

==Significance in other scientific fields==
The Nernst equation has been involved in the scientific controversy about [[cold fusion]]. Fleischmann and Pons, claiming that cold fusion could exist, calculated that a [[palladium]] [[cathode]] immersed in a [[heavy water]] electrolysis cell could achieve up to 10<sup>27</sup> atmospheres of pressure inside the [[crystal lattice]] of the metal of the cathode, enough pressure to cause spontaneous [[nuclear fusion]]. In reality, only 10,000–20,000 atmospheres were achieved. The American physicist [[John R. Huizenga]] claimed their original calculation was affected by a misinterpretation of the Nernst equation.<ref>{{cite book| last=Huizenga | first=John R. | author-link=John R. Huizenga | title=Cold Fusion: The Scientific Fiasco of the Century | edition=2 | location=Oxford and New York | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=1993 | pages=33, 47 | isbn=978-0-19-855817-0 }}</ref> He cited a paper about Pd–Zr [[Alloy|alloys]].<ref name="Huot1989">{{cite journal|last1=Huot|first1=J. Y.|title=Electrolytic Hydrogenation and Amorphization of Pd-Zr Alloys|journal=Journal of the Electrochemical Society|volume=136|issue=3|year=1989|pages=630–635|issn=0013-4651|doi=10.1149/1.2096700|bibcode=1989JElS..136..630H }}</ref>

The Nernst equation allows the calculation of the extent of reaction between two [[redox]] systems and can be used, for example, to assess whether a particular reaction will go to completion or not. At [[chemical equilibrium]], the [[electromotive force]]s (emf) of the two half cells are equal. This allows the [[equilibrium constant]]  {{math|''K''}} of the reaction to be calculated and hence the extent of the reaction.