How to Dissolve Silver Nitrate in Water
- 1). Determine the concentration of silver nitrate solution you want to prepare. Due to the cost of the solid reagent you should prepare only what you need. Its light sensitivity presents another reason for only preparing the solution in small quantities.
- 2). Weigh out the determined amount of silver nitrate and add it to a beaker containing 100 ml of deionized-distilled water. Silver ions are reactive with some common ions in tap water, such as chloride and sulfate. If these are present in the water, the silver ion will combine with them and precipitate out of solution.
- 3). Stir the beaker and slowly heat the solution using a hot plate to help the silver nitrate dissolve if the concentration of the solution is significantly high. As the temperature of the water increases, so does the solubility of silver nitrate. If time is of the essence, use warmer water to prepare the solution and hasten the dissolving process.
- 4). Remove the beaker from the heat and quickly pour into a brown bottle. The brown color of the glass will prevent the silver nitrate solution from degrading due to contact with the light.
