rjaduthie - 15-1-2008 at 08:51
I have known that you can control the weather for some time now. I believe that there was a program on radio4 on the subject where a group of Chinese
scientists released a chemical from a rocket which then allowed clouds to break and rain to fall.
I have a funny feeling that the chemical was AgNO2 (Silver Nitrite).
Is this correct?
[Edited on 15-1-2008 by rjaduthie]
YT2095 - 15-1-2008 at 09:06
Silver Iodide is used Commonly, never heard of the Nitrate being used though?
solo - 15-1-2008 at 09:14
The Chinese use silver Iodine....not the toxic silver nitrate...............solo
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/11/china-leads-wea.h...
http://science.howstuffworks.com/cloud-seeding.htm
JohnWW - 15-1-2008 at 11:31
AgI is a fairly expensive substance to be used for such a purpose. In view of its being highly insoluble, I am somewhat surprised that using it to
produce rain from clouds works. I wonder if there are any cheaper substitutes. Common salt, other hygroscopic halides, and dry ice (frozen CO2), which
are much cheaper, can be used - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding .
Apparently the use of AgI arose because there is a good match between the lattice constants of AgI and water ice; but if this is so, KI should be
about as effective.
BTW Soluble Ag compounds are toxic - they react with skin, if spilt on it, to decompose to dark stains of colloidal Ag metal. if ingested, the
compounds cause argyria, in which the body assumes a grey complexion. See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyria
http://www.argyria.info/
http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/cgi-bin/omd?argyria
http://dermnetnz.org/reactions/argyria.html
http://www.together.net/~rjstan/argyria_photos_intro.html
[Edited on 16-1-08 by JohnWW]
Phosphor-ing - 15-1-2008 at 11:44
This is a good example of what Ag will do to the skin.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317564,00.html
The link doesn't work because of the commas. Just cut and paste the address in another window.
[Edited on 15-1-2008 by Phosphor-ing]