Silver Sulfate Crystal
Transmitted Crossed Polarized Light with Red Plate Compensator
Sulfate ions in solution can be detected with silver nitrate. The presence of sulfate
ions
is shown by the growth of this distinctive crystal of silver sulfate. The pockets that
form on each side of the long axis of the crystal 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.