Q1. [1] § 1.2.3 Displacement Reaction § 1.3 HAVE YOU OBSERVED THE EFFECTS OF OXIDATION REACTIONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE?
Account for the following : White silver chloride turns grey when exposed to sunlight.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 31/4/1 Q26 (a)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-14 10:34 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Silver chloride (AgCl) is decomposed by sunlight into silver (grey) and chlorine gas. This is a photochemical decomposition reaction: $2AgCl \xrightarrow{sunlight} 2Ag + Cl_2\uparrow$
Explanation
The examiner expects you to name the type of reaction (photochemical decomposition) and give the equation. The product silver (Ag) is grey, which explains the colour change. This is a standard example of a decomposition reaction triggered by light, not heat.
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