Why does the hydrogen gets reduced at the cathode and not $\ce{Na}$ when aqueous solution of brine is subjected to electrolysis?
My book says because discharge potential of hydrogen is lower than that of sodium but in the reduction potential table, hydrogen is assigned a value = 0 and sodium a value of -2.7. So isn't the negative value of sodium lesser than that of hydrogen? Or is it being talked just magnitude wise?
Please explain me the whole concept of what factors decide the reduction and oxidation of some elements over others.