Equilibrium Potentials II Answer 7

• For the sodium Nernst potential, using Equation 8, you should obtain $+54.78\ \text{mV}$, which is about $+55\ \text{mV}$.
• For the potassium Nernst potential, using Equation 6, you should obtain $-75.46\ \text{mV}$, which is about $-75\ \text{mV}$.
• For the chloride Nernst potential, using Equation 5, you should obtain $-59.87\ \text{mV}$, which is about $-60\ \text{mV}$, close to the resting potential of the nerve cell.
• Because the membrane is permeable to both ions with positive Nernst potentials and ions with negative Nernst potentials, the concentration gradients will tend to run down if they are not energetically maintained. Thus, the squid giant axon is not in equilibrium; rather, it is in a steady state condition.