Silver Trees
Some metals are more reactive than others. Zinc is more reactive than iron and this is why it is used to coat steel dustbins, steel bolts and corrugated iron sheets. The zinc reacts with the air first and protects the iron from rusting.
Copper is more reactive than silver (which is why silver makes such good jewellery). In this experiment a piece of copper wire was covered with some dissolved silver (silver nitrate solution). As the copper reacted and began to dissolve it displaced the silver out of the solution, which then sprouted beautiful trees of silver crystals. The branches are so fine that the light scatters and they seem quite dull, despite being pure silver.
H and R enjoyed watching the this reaction under our microscope.
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