How to Easily Grow Silver Crystals

How to Easily Grow Silver Crystals Silver crystals are beautiful and easily grown metal crystals. You can watch crystal growth under a microscope or let the crystals grow overnight for larger crystals. Directions Suspend a piece of copper wire in 0.1M silver nitrate in a test tube. If you coil the wire you will get high surface area and more visible growth.Place the tube in a darkened location. Try to avoid high-traffic (high-vibration) areas.Crystals should be visible to the naked eye on the copper wire after about an hour, but larger crystals and noticeable blue coloration of liquid will occur overnight.ORPlace a drop of mercury in a test tube and add 5-10 ml 0.1M silver nitrate.Allow the tube to stand undisturbed in a dark location for 1-2 days. Crystals will grow on the surface of the mercury. Tips It is easy to watch crystals form on a copper wire under a microscope. The heat of the microscope light will cause crystals to form very quickly.AÂ  displacement reaction is responsible for crystal formation: 2Ag Cu → Cu2 2Ag Materials Needed 0.1M Silver NitrateTest TubeCopper Wire or Mercury