Silver nitrate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula AgNO3. It is a versatile precursor to many other silver compounds, such as those used in photography. It is far less sensitive to light than the halides. It was once called lunar caustic because silver was called luna by ancient alchemists who associated silver with the moon. In solid silver nitrate, the silver ions are three-coordinated in a trigonal planar arrangement.
Silver nitrate
Crystals of silver nitrate under a microscope.
Micrograph showing a silver nitrate (brown) marked surgical margin.
Skin stained by silver nitrate
Silver is a chemical element; it has symbol Ag ) and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. The metal is found in the Earth's crust in the pure, free elemental form, as an alloy with gold and other metals, and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining.
Silver
Silver is extremely ductile, and can be drawn into a wire one atom wide.
The three common silver halide precipitates: from left to right, silver iodide, silver bromide, and silver chloride
Crystals of silver nitrate