Identify the type of chemical reaction taking place when silver chloride turns black on exposure to sunlight.
Silver chloride decomposes to two different products i.e. silver and chlorine.
The balanced chemical equation is:
2AgCl(s) → 2Ag(s) + Cl2(g)
Such chemical reaction in which two or more products are formed from a single reactant is called a decomposition reaction.
It is a decomposition reaction that occurs in the presence of sunlight and hence it is a photochemical decomposition reaction.