# In a single cell battery, is voltage exactly equal to cell potential?

I've been researching electrochemical cells. In chemistry-focused sources, you usually see the potential difference between the electrodes referred to as cell potential, but in engineering/industrial sources(where you talk about "batteries") you usually see plain "voltage." Are the two always the same, or are there some situations where they're different(excluding multiple cells)? I want to know whether you can use the cell potential formula $$E^o_{cell} = E^o_{cathode} - E^o_{anode}$$ to calculate an accurate standard conditions voltage for a battery. If not, what gets in the way?

• I did not alter my answer in response to your edit as the answer basically remains the same. The formula for the cell potential is correct as you have written it and can be used to calculate standard cell potentials so long as you know how to use it. – airhuff Jul 1 '17 at 23:50

The standard hydrogen electrode has 4.44 V relative to an ideal ground (absolute potential, at 25°C), but thats's hard to reproduce, so for all practical purposes, it ($E^0$, standard electrode potential) is defined (by IUPAC) to be zero at all temperatures. It's all relative.