What Does
Standard Reference Electrode (SRE) Mean?
A standard reference electrode is an electrode that has a known electrical potential. A standard reference electrode has many uses, but the most common is when it is used to determine the potential of another material in an electrochemical cell.
A standard reference electrode is also known as a standard hydrogen electrode (SHE).
Corrosionpedia Explains Standard Reference Electrode (SRE)
Standard reference electrodes have known potentials. The understood potential of the standard reference electrode makes it possible, by means of deduction, to determine the potential of the other half-cell in an electrochemical cell. This is why they are frequently used in electrochemical experimentation.
A standard reference electrode, also known as a standard hydrogen electrode, is comprised of a liquid solution of 1.0 M of H+ ions and a piece of platinum that has been platinized. The potential of a standard electrode is assumed to be zero.