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[profitis]

nothing.its an ELECTRODE concentration cell thus its only the relative concentrations of 3-phase gas/electrode/electrolyte contact upon the electrodes that matter.thus the exact proportionality of the measured potential to the relative gas exposures.we can only conclude that theres two dead-stable states in the system: 1) when the two electrodes are in contact and the potential evens out and 2)when the two electrodes just sit there,seperately.thats what i mean by 2 'entropy states'

[MarkE]

Profitis, didn't you say that this cell is an oxygen concentration cell?  Doesn't that mean that the oxygen concentration is different in the two half cells?

[profitis]

yes mark.if one electrode is under the electrolyte and one slightly submerged then the oxygen concentration is very different, up to .3volts for two identical platinum foils.

[MarkE]

Then if the two concentrations have a communication path the concentrations each move towards equilibrium.  Why wouldn't they?

[profitis]

prexactly @mark E.exactly.nothing is stopping shifting of gas,spontaneously!! .NOW, lets disconnect the connecting wire between the two half-cells,whats stopping the system from returning to original stability,before we short-circuited?