Advertisement
Grab your lab coat. Let's get started
Welcome!
Welcome!
Create an account below to get 6 C&EN articles per month, receive newsletters and more - all free.
It seems this is your first time logging in online. Please enter the following information to continue.
As an ACS member you automatically get access to this site. All we need is few more details to create your reading experience.
Not you? Sign in with a different account.
Not you? Sign in with a different account.
ERROR 1
ERROR 1
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
ERROR 2
Password and Confirm password must match.
If you have an ACS member number, please enter it here so we can link this account to your membership. (optional)
ERROR 2
ACS values your privacy. By submitting your information, you are gaining access to C&EN and subscribing to our weekly newsletter. We use the information you provide to make your reading experience better, and we will never sell your data to third party members.
Pedro Amaral, a PhD student at Drexel University, captured these whiskers of silver growing on a copper coil as part of a series of photos showcasing the beauty of chemistry. This classic demonstration takes advantage of the two metals’ reduction potential, which describes how likely an atom is to surrender an electron to an electrode. In this case, silver’s reduction potential is higher than copper’s. The copper coil is floating in a solution of silver nitrate, and when the silver ions come in contact with the copper, the ions snag an electron from—or, in other words, they get reduced by—the copper atoms, creating the silver metal we see on the surface of the coil. Similarly, the copper coil releases Cu²⁺ ions into the solution, creating copper nitrate, which looks blue when dissolved.
Submitted by Pedro Amaral. You can follow him @pedroemamaral on Instagram.
Do science. Take pictures. Win money. Enter our photo contest here.
You might also like...
The power is now in your (nitrile gloved) hands
Sign up for a free account to get more articles. Or choose the ACS option that’s right for you.
Already have an ACS ID? Log in
Join the conversation
Contact the reporter
Submit a Letter to the Editor for publication
Engage with us on X