Materials Required:
l Silver or silver-plated object
l Silver polish
l Cloth
l Rubber band
l Water
Procedure:
- Ask an adult in your family if you may borrow a silver or silver-plated object, such as a spoon. The experiment will not harm the piece. Polish the object with an old cloth and some silver polish.
- Wrap a rubber band tightly around the object and dip it in water. Then let the experiment sit on a dry shelf for several days.
- When you return, remove the rubber band. You will see dark marks where the rubber came in contact with the silver.
This Is What Happens:
The dark areas on the object in your experiment are actually a new chemical called silver sulphide. Some sulphur in the rubber band came in contact with silver on the surface of the object. These two chemicals combined to form a new substance. Sulphur is added to rubber during processing so that the final product won’t melt or crack at extreme temperatures. Now polish the spoon again to remove the dark marks—it will look as good as new!.
