Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Silver nitrate
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General |
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|---|---|
| Name | Silver (I) nitrate |
| Chemical formula | AgNO3 |
| Appearance | White solid |
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Physical |
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| Formula weight | 169.9 amu |
| Melting point | 485 K (212 °C) |
| Boiling point | decomposes at 713 K (440 °C) |
| Density | 4.4 ×103 kg/m3 |
| Crystal structure | ? |
| Solubility | 245 g in 100g water |
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Thermochemistry |
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Safety | |
| Ingestion | Very toxic, may cause serious injury or death. |
| Inhalation | Severe irritant, long-term effects also known. |
| Skin | Staining, higher concentrations are corrosive and dangerous. |
| Eyes | Extremely dangerous, causes blindness. Seek medical attention immediately. |
| More info | Hazardous Chemical Database |
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SI units were used where possible. Unless otherwise stated, standard conditions were used. | |
Silver nitrate is a chemical compound with chemical formula AgNO3. This nitrate of silver is a light-sensitive ingredient in photographic film. A poisonous, corrosive compound, silver nitrate crystals can be produced by dissolving silver in nitric acid and evaporating the solution. It notably stains skin a greyish or black color which is made visible after exposure to sunlight.
When making photographic film, fine silver nitrate particles are bonded to strips of tri-acetate or polyester. Photons from sunlight, X-rays or other sources, initiate a purported chemical chain reaction: when photons strike silver nitrate molecules, they free electrons from the silver ions. These free electrons roam through the crystal and settle in structural imperfections called sensitivity specks . These specks apparently attract positive silver ions, which are then neutralized to form groups of stable silver atoms, creating a latent image that is chemically developed to reveal a photographic image.
Silver nitrate has been used as an antiseptic, dropped into newborn babies' eyes at birth. This is to prevent contraction of gonorrhoea or chlamydia from their mother. A very weak solution is used for this, (about 1%) and there are very few side effects.
See also
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