Fulminating silver
Encyclopedia
Fulminating silver is the name given to a number of explosive silver-containing
substances that "fulminate" or detonate easily and violently.
"Fulminating silver" has no exact chemical
or dictionary
definition.
It may refer to:
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
substances that "fulminate" or detonate easily and violently.
"Fulminating silver" has no exact chemical
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
or dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
definition.
It may refer to:
- silver fulminateSilver fulminateSilver fulminate is an explosive, ionic, fulminic acid salt of silver.Silver fulminate is a primary explosive that has very little practical value due to its extreme sensitivity to impact, heat, pressure and electricity...
(which, confusingly, is the only "fulminating silver" to be a silver compound with the fulminateFulminateFulminates are chemical compounds which include the fulminate ion. The fulminate ion, is a pseudohalic ion, acting like a halogen with its charge and reactivity. Due to the instability of the ion, fulminate salts are friction-sensitive explosives. The best known is mercury fulminate, which has...
anion) - silver azideSilver azideSilver azide is the chemical compound with the formula AgN3. This colorless solid is a well-known explosive.-Structure and chemistry:Silver azide can be prepared by treating an aqueous solution of silver nitrate with sodium azide...
, AgN3 - a mixtureMixtureIn chemistry, a mixture is a material system made up by two or more different substances which are mixed together but are not combined chemically...
, a decomposition product of Tollens' reagentTollens' reagentTollens' reagent is a chemical reagent most commonly used to determine whether a known carbonyl-containing compound is an aldehyde or a ketone. It is usually ammoniacal silver nitrate, but can also be other mixtures, as long as aqueous diamminesilver complex is present... - silver nitrideSilver nitrideSilver nitride is an explosive chemical compound with symbol Ag3N. It is a black, metallic-looking solid which is formed when silver oxide or silver nitrate is dissolved in concentrated solutions of ammonia, causing formation of a silver-amide or imide complex which subsequently breaks down to Ag3N...
, Ag3N - the alchemical substance "Argentum Fulminans"