Sciencemadness Discussion Board
Not logged in [Login ]
Go To Bottom

Printable Version  
Author: Subject: Weather - and chemistry
rjaduthie
Harmless
*




Posts: 1
Registered: 15-1-2008
Location: Edinurgh, Scotland
Member Is Offline

Mood: Fine, thanks

cool.gif posted on 15-1-2008 at 08:51
Weather - and chemistry


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]
View user's profile View All Posts By User
YT2095
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 1091
Registered: 31-5-2003
Location: Just left of Europe and down a bit.
Member Is Offline

Mood: within Nominal Parameters

[*] posted on 15-1-2008 at 09:06


Silver Iodide is used Commonly, never heard of the Nitrate being used though?



\"In a world full of wonders mankind has managed to invent boredom\" - Death
Twinkies don\'t have a shelf life. They have a half-life! -Caine (a friend of mine)
View user's profile View All Posts By User
solo
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 3967
Registered: 9-12-2002
Location: Estados Unidos de La Republica Mexicana
Member Is Offline

Mood: ....getting old and drowning in a sea of knowledge

[*] posted on 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




It's better to die on your feet, than live on your knees....Emiliano Zapata.
View user's profile View All Posts By User
JohnWW
International Hazard
*****




Posts: 2849
Registered: 27-7-2004
Location: New Zealand
Member Is Offline

Mood: No Mood

[*] posted on 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]
View user's profile View All Posts By User
Phosphor-ing
Hazard to Others
***




Posts: 244
Registered: 31-5-2006
Location: Deep South, USA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Inquisitive

[*] posted on 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]




"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" -Ronald Reagan
View user's profile View All Posts By User

  Go To Top