Silver Sulfate Crystals
Transmitted Crossed Polarized Light with Red Plate Compensator
Definition/Function:
Sulfate ions in solution can be detected with silver nitrate, provided that the test
solution is fairly concentrated.
The presence of sulfate ions is shown by the growth of these distinctive crystals of
silver sulfate. The pockets that
form on each side of the long axis of the crystals are typical. The sign of elongation
for these crysatals is negative
(They turn yellow when oriented NE-SW and blue NW-SE). This is a standard micro-chemical
test from the HANDBOOK OF
CHEMICAL MICROSCOPY, by Chamot and Mason.
Significance in the Environment:
Characteristic Features:
Associated Particles:
References:
Chamot, Emile Monnin and Clyde Walter Mason, HANDBOOK OF CHEMICAL MICROSCOPY, Volume II,
pp. 349, 1940.