In traditional black-and-white photography, the developed film is chemically "fixed" to prevent the — d and f Block Elements Chemistry Question
Question
In traditional black-and-white photography, the developed film is chemically "fixed" to prevent the unexposed light-sensitive material from turning black. This involves washing the film with a hypo solution ($Na_2S_2O_3$). What is the exact formula of the soluble transition metal complex formed to clear the film?
💡 Solution & Explanation
Hypo ($Na_2S_2O_3$) acts as a fixing agent. It utilizes the complex-forming ability of transition metals, reacting with the insoluble, unexposed Silver Bromide ($AgBr$) to form the highly water-soluble coordination complex Sodium dithiosulphatoargentate(I), mathematically written as $Na_3[Ag(S_2O_3)_2]$.