Abstract
IT is assumed in measuring potential with hydrogen or alkali-sensitive glass electrodes1 that the salt bridge which connects the reference electrode to the solution generates a negligibly small potential at the liquid junction. This is a reasonable assumption so long as the unknown solution contains no colloids, and its ionic strength is approximately that of the buffers used in standardization. Unfortunately these ideal conditions are seldom met in biological systems. The resultant error is often of a serious magnitude, as shown in experiments on pH in colloidal systems2,3.
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MERRIL, C. Elimination of the Liquid Junction by using Glass Electrodes. Nature 192, 1087 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/1921087a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1921087a0
