Envisioning Chemistry: Black (Lead) and White (Silver)

A metal can displace a less reactive metal from its salt solution. Copper is more reactive than silver, and zinc is more reactive than lead. As a result, when copper and zinc metals are dropped in the solutions of silver nitrate and lead(II) nitrate, respectively, microscopic silver and lead crystals emerge. This film compares the different growth patterns of silver and lead crystals. All footage were taken under a microscope.