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This is a fantastic experiment. That said, it can get very expensive so be warned!
It is a displacement reaction between the more reactive Magnesium and the less reactive Silver. While doing the risk assessment for this I came across many a story of pain and woe. To get the drop of water I set up a burette set to deliver a drop about every 10 seconds. I once jogged the burette while doing this with near catastrophic consequences. This is definitely one to practise first and do not sneeze while you are preparing it!
This is a simple displacement reaction. The more reactive magnesium “steals” the nitrate of the Silver as follows:
Mg(s) + 2 AgNO3(s) ------> Mg(NO3)2(s) + 2 Ag(s)
This reaction is incredibly exothermic giving of a very large flash.
If you have any other ideas or comments regarding this reaction please email me and I will add them here.
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