Question

Silver nitrate produces a black stain on skin due to:

• A. its corrosive action
• B. its reduction to metallic silver
• C. its strong reducing action
• D. the formation of a complex compound

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

its reduction to metallic silver

The black color is due to the decomposition of the Ag+ ion into Ag, silver. Silver nitrate will slowly decompose with the silver ion reverting to elemental silver. The microscopic particles of silver are so small that they absorb light instead of reflecting it, and so appear black, instead of silver.

Silver nitrate produces a black stain on skin due to its reduction to silver (Ag).
$AgN{O}_3\stackrel{reduction}{\to }Ag$

Option B is correct.