Question

Why do we store silver chloride in dark colored bottles?

Answer 1

Hint: Silver chloride is a white crystalline inorganic solid, popularly known for its low solubility in water. Its chemical formula is AgCl. On being exposed to light, it changes to black in color.

Complete step by step solution:
Silver chloride is a light-sensitive compound. On heating or when subjected to sunlight, silver chloride, being a light-sensitive compound, undergoes photolytic decomposition reaction. It gets converted to silver and chlorine gas, which can be easily visualized by change in color of the sample, from grey to black or purplish. Dark colored bottles interrupt the light from entering the bottle and reach to the silver chloride stored in it. Therefore, in order to prevent this decomposition, silver chloride is stored in dark colored bottles. The reaction can be given as:
\[2AgCl\to 2Ag+C{{l}_{2}}\]

Additional Information:
1. It is used in photochromic lenses, which change their color when hit by sunlight.
2. It can also be used in electroplating and polishing mirrors and in making some alloys.
3. Silver chloride is most commonly used as the cathode in seawater-activated batteries.

Note: There are certain other chemical compounds which are stored in dark colored bottles to prevent them from decomposition. For example:
Silver nitrate- It is also light sensitive, so when exposed to sunlight, it decomposes to Silver (Ag).
Hydrogen peroxide- It gets oxidized in presence of sunlight, which can further result in an increase in temperature.