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.
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