JEE Main · Chemistry · Electrochemistry

Nernst Equation: JEE Main previous year questions

Name: Nernst Equation: JEE Main previous year questions
Creator: Lumi

55 questions in the 108 JEE Main shifts Lumi analysed, in 8 of 8 years. Pattern: Asked most years. 17 came in 2024–26. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Questions: 55; in 53 of 108 shifts
Years asked: 8/8; last asked 2026
Chance in a shift: 47%; calibrated model, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 0.5; model; history: 0.5 a shift on average, typically 0.4–0.6

Key findings

01
Asked in 8 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 53 of 108 shifts: 55 questions, #48 of 196 topics. It came in every year with analysed shifts.
02
30% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 32 repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Standard Cell Potential, asked 13 times in 13 shifts (2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026), most often as “true statement selection on cell reaction”.
04
JEE Main has asked 16 of the 49 ideas in this topic; 27 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
05
Mostly asked as numerical value (69%); 69% need a numerical answer, 24% are easy and 15% hard.
06
The skill tested most is calculation (55%), then conceptual (18%).

Questions a shift, year by year

Out of the 25 Chemistry questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.

Raw count: 2017: 1 in 1 shift · 2020: 7 in 12 shifts · 2021: 11 in 24 shifts · 2022: 13 in 24 shifts · 2023: 6 in 12 shifts · 2024: 8 in 18 shifts · 2025: 4 in 8 shifts · 2026: 5 in 9 shifts.

Up to 2023: 0.5; a shift, of 25
Since 2024: 0.5; -0.1
Usual gap: 1.3 yrs; between years asking it
Shifts with it: 53/108; 49% of analysed shifts

Revise first

Standard Cell Potential · asked 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026
Full Cell Nernst Equation · asked 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026
pH Dependence of Electrode Potential · asked 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 55 questions on Nernst Equation since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

13348

Easy13 · 24%
Medium34 · 62%
Hard8 · 15%

Format

Numerical value · 38 Q69%
Single correct · 15 Q27%
Other · 2 Q4%

Skill tested

Calculation · 30 Q55%
Conceptual · 10 Q18%
Application · 8 Q15%
Multi-step · 5 Q9%
Recall · 2 Q4%

Repeats

New idea, or one asked before?

Each column is a year. Blue questions tested an idea no earlier year had asked; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier year. 2017 is the first year, so everything in it counts as new. Heights are question counts, and Lumi analysed 1 to 24 shifts a year, so compare the split inside a column rather than heights across years.

’17’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Idea asked for the first time
Idea asked in an earlier year

Coverage of the topic

JEE Main has asked 16 of the 49 ideas in this topic. 27 have never been asked yet.

16627

Asked directly16 · 33%
Touched inside another question6 · 12%
Never asked27 · 55%

Ideas come from Lumi’s JEE syllabus map. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: across all of JEE Main, 22% of questions since 2024 tested an idea no earlier year had asked.

Drill down

Idea, year, question

Every idea JEE Main tested in this topic, with its eight years. Open one to read the questions.

ideaAskedShareYears’17’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

OpenRepeated13 · 24%24%7/8423
- 2 Apr ’26 S1 · Q57
  An electrochemical cell is constructed using half cells in the direction of spontaneous change…
  mediumSingle correctAsked the year before
- 3 Apr ’25 S2 · Q56
  The standard cell potential ( $\mathrm{E^{\ominus}_{cell}}$ ) of a fuel cell based on the oxidation of methanol in air that has been used to…
  mediumSingle correctAsked the year before
- 5 Apr ’24 S2 · Q64
  For the electro chemical cell $\mathrm{M|M^{2+}||X|X^{2-}}$ If $\mathrm{E^0_{(M^{2+}/M)}} = 0.46\ \mathrm{V}$ and…
  mediumSingle correctAsked the year before
- 9 Apr ’24 S1 · Q85
  The standard reduction potentials at 298 K for the following half cells are given below :…
  mediumNumerical valueAsked the year before
- 30 Jan ’24 S2 · Q65
  Reduction potential of ions are given below: $\mathrm{ClO_4^-}$ $E^\circ = 1.19\ V$ ; $\mathrm{IO_4^-}$ $E^\circ = 1.65\ V$ ;…
  easySingle correctAsked the year before
- 6 Apr ’23 S2 · Q86
  The standard reduction potentials at 298 K for the following half cells are given below:…
  mediumNumerical valueAsked the year before
- 11 Apr ’23 S2 · Q86
  The number of correct statements from the following is _______ A. $\mathrm{E_{cell}}$ is an intensive parameter B. A negative…
  mediumNumerical valueAsked the year before
- 28 Jul ’22 S1 · Q70
  Which of the following has least tendency to liberate $\mathrm{H_2}$ from mineral acids ?
  easySingle correctAsked the year before
- 30 Jul ’22 S2 · Q39
  The $\mathrm{E^o}$ (volt) values are : $\mathrm{Al^{3+}/Al}$ , $-1.66$ , $\mathrm{Sc^{3+}/Sc}$ , $-2.08$ , $\mathrm{Fe^{3+}/Fe^{2+}}$ ,…
  easySingle correctAsked the year before
- 25 Jun ’22 S1 · Q87
  In a cell, the following reactions take place $\mathrm{Fe^{2+}} \rightarrow \mathrm{Fe^{3+}} + \mathrm{e^-}$ …
  easyNumerical valueAsked the year before
- 25 Jun ’22 S2 · Q69
  Read the question
  easyOtherAsked the year before
- 4 Aug ’21 S1 · Q56
  Read the question
  easyNumerical value
- 2017 · Q36
  Read the question
  easySingle correctNew idea
OpenRepeated12 · 22%22%6/8432
OpenRepeated6 · 11%11%4/822
OpenRepeated4 · 7%7%3/82
OpenRepeated4 · 7%7%3/82
OpenRepeated3 · 5%5%3/8
OpenRepeated2 · 4%4%2/8
OpenRepeated2 · 4%4%2/8
OpenRepeated2 · 4%4%2/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8
Open1 · 2%2%1/8

Squares are the 8 years with analysed shifts, 2017 to 2026. A number is the questions that year when there is more than one; the shade is scaled to one shift, so a year with more analysed shifts (1 to 24 a year) does not look darker. Share is of the level above.

Ideas

Every idea inside this topic

16 different ideas were tested; 9 came more than once.

Standard Cell Potential13×
true statement selection on cell reaction
Single correct · 13 shifts · 5 numerical
Full Cell Nernst Equation12×
unknown charge from cell emf
Numerical value · 12 shifts · 10 numerical
pH Dependence of Electrode Potential6×
ph from zero emf of half cell
Numerical value · 6 shifts · 5 numerical
E°cell and Equilibrium4×
equilibrium constant exponent from standard potentials
Numerical value · 4 shifts · 4 numerical
Gibbs Energy and EMF4×
count incorrect statements on cell thermodynamics
Numerical value · 4 shifts · 4 numerical
Concentration Cells3×
emf of concentration cell
Numerical value · 3 shifts · 2 numerical
Latimer Diagrams and E02×
derive e0 from two other potentials
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 1 numerical
Additivity of Delta G0 for E0 Calculation2×
e0 from latimer diagram
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 2 numerical
Temperature Coefficient of Cell EMF2×
temperature coefficient of cell emf
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 1 numerical
Maximum Non-Expansion Work1×
incorrect statement on redox cell
Other · 1 shift
Quinhydrone Electrode for pH1×
pkb from quinhydrone cell
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical
Calomel Electrode Potential1×
classify calomel electrode type
Single correct · 1 shift
Nernst Equation for Gas Electrodes1×
electrode potential of gas electrode at given pressure
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical
Single Electrode Nernst1×
h2 pressure making hydrogen electrode emf zero in pure water
Single correct · 1 shift
Nernst Equation and Solubility Product (Ksp)1×
electrode potential from ksp and ph
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical
Equilibrium Constant of Disproportionation1×
equilibrium constant of disproportionation from e0
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical

Idea	Times	Shifts	Format	Numerical
Standard Cell Potentialtrue statement selection on cell reaction	13	13	Single correctApplication	5
Full Cell Nernst Equationunknown charge from cell emf	12	12	Numerical valueCalculation	10
pH Dependence of Electrode Potentialph from zero emf of half cell	6	6	Numerical valueCalculation	5
E°cell and Equilibriumequilibrium constant exponent from standard potentials	4	4	Numerical valueCalculation	4
Gibbs Energy and EMFcount incorrect statements on cell thermodynamics	4	4	Numerical valueCalculation	4
Concentration Cellsemf of concentration cell	3	3	Numerical valueApplication	2
Latimer Diagrams and E0derive e0 from two other potentials	2	2	Numerical valueApplication	1
Additivity of Delta G0 for E0 Calculatione0 from latimer diagram	2	2	Numerical valueCalculation	2
Temperature Coefficient of Cell EMFtemperature coefficient of cell emf	2	2	Numerical valueCalculation	1
Maximum Non-Expansion Workincorrect statement on redox cell	1	1	OtherConceptual	–
Quinhydrone Electrode for pHpkb from quinhydrone cell	1	1	Numerical valueMulti-step	1
Calomel Electrode Potentialclassify calomel electrode type	1	1	Single correctRecall	–
Nernst Equation for Gas Electrodeselectrode potential of gas electrode at given pressure	1	1	Numerical valueCalculation	1
Single Electrode Nernsth2 pressure making hydrogen electrode emf zero in pure water	1	1	Single correctCalculation	–
Nernst Equation and Solubility Product (Ksp)electrode potential from ksp and ph	1	1	Numerical valueCalculation	1
Equilibrium Constant of Disproportionationequilibrium constant of disproportionation from e0	1	1	Numerical valueCalculation	1

Times and shifts count every analysed shift. Across JEE Main, 78% of questions since 2024 went back to an idea an earlier year had asked; the rest were new. All repeated ideas

Every question

Nernst Equation questions, year by year

The newest 40 show their opening words as they appeared in the official paper; older ones name the idea they tested. Open one for its options and the official answer.

Questions from the official JEE Main Paper 1 shifts published by NTA (CBSE for 2017). Questions NTA dropped are left out. Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.

Key findings

Questions a shift, year by year

Difficulty, format and skill

Difficulty

Format

Skill tested

New idea, or one asked before?

Coverage of the topic

Idea, year, question

Every idea inside this topic

Nernst Equation questions, year by year

JEE Main 20265 questions in 5 shifts

JEE Main 20254 questions in 4 shifts

JEE Main 20248 questions in 7 shifts

JEE Main 20236 questions in 6 shifts

JEE Main 202213 questions in 12 shifts

JEE Main 202111 questions in 11 shifts

JEE Main 20207 questions in 7 shifts

JEE Main 20171 question in 1 shift

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