Silver iodide is a yellowish chemical compound formed from silver and iodine. It is mainly used for cloud seeding, which involves dispersing silver iodide crystals into clouds to induce precipitation by serving as nuclei for water vapor to condense around. Silver iodide is also used as an antiseptic and in silver-based photography. However, the effectiveness of cloud seeding is uncertain and it may have detrimental environmental and health effects through consequences like rain suppression, flooding, toxicity, and pollution.

1. Silver Iodide
WHAT IS IT USED FOR?
MOHAMED SULTAN

2. What is Silver Iodide?

Silver iodide is a chemical compound that is made of
silver and iodine.

It is an odorless, insoluble salt with a yellowish
appearance.

3. How is it Formed?

Silver iodide is formed when an iodide solution such
as, potassium iodide, and a solution of silver ions,
such as silver nitrate, reacts with each other. When
this reaction occurs, a yellowish solid quickly begins
to precipitate.

4. Images of Silver Iodide

5. What is it Used For?

Silver iodide is used for many things. It is mainly used in
cloud seeding, however, it can also be used as an
antiseptic and to help produce silver-based
photography.

6. What is Cloud Seeding?

Cloud seeding is a technique used to deliberately modify
weather.

Cloud seeding is performed either by dropping silver iodide
crystals into clouds from above by air vehicles or by spraying
them from below using certain machines. When the
substances are dispersed into the air, they serve as cloud
condensation nuclei, which causes the water vapor within
the cloud to change into liquid water (i.e. rain or snow)

7. Images of Cloud Seeding

8. Effectiveness of Cloud Seeding

Although cloud seeding seems promising, it has been notorious for
uncertain results. After cloud seeders have performed their job, they
can never actually tell if the cloud seeding was effective or not
because the cloud might have rained anyway, which is why they
initially chose it.

Not only is this method fallible, but it may also be detrimental to the
health of humans and the environment. Some known consequences
include rain suppression, flooding, tornadoes, and silver iodide toxicity.
An organization has even claimed that silver iodide is a hazardous
chemical that pollutes water and soil. Also, silver iodide has been
found to be highly toxic to fish, livestock and humans.