One-Way Mirror

 

Materials:

 

Soap                            Glass Pane                   Small Mirror                 Cotton Balls

Nitric Acid                   Water Basin                 4 Beakers                     Silver Nitrate

Distilled Water              Medicine Dropper        Stirring Rod                  Aqua Ammonia

Potassium Hydroxide    Glucose                        Varnish                         Soft-Hair Brush

 

Procedure:

 

1. Clean your glass pane with soap and water, then rinse thoroughly. Handle the glass on the edges only and set the glass aside to dry.
2. Pour a small amount of Nitric Acid on the surface of the glass and spread it around with the cotton balls.
3. Flush the surface with water, and then place the glass, clean side down, in a basin of clean water to keep it clean until you are ready to treat it.
4. Get 4 clean beakers and label them A-D. In beaker A, dissolve 30 mL of Silver Nitrate in 300 mL of distilled water. Set aside 30 mL of this solution aside in beaker B for later use.
5. With a medicine dropper, add Aqua Ammonia to beaker A while constantly stirring this solution. At first, the solution will turn a brownish color. Continue to add Aqua Ammonia, drop by drop, while stirring until the solution becomes just barely cloudy, but not entirely clear.
6. In Beaker C, mix 30 mL of Potassium Hydroxide to 310 mL of water, slowly. Make sure to add the Potassium Hydroxide to the water, NOT the other way around.
7. Pour the solution from beaker C into beaker A (the Ammoniated Silver Nitrate) and stir very thoroughly.
8. Add Aqua Ammonia, drop by drop, to beaker A until, once again, it becomes just barely cloudy, but not entirely clear.
9. Pour the Silver Nitrate solution set aside earlier in beaker B into beaker A. Once again, the solution will become slightly cloudy.
10. In beaker D, make a solution of 15 mL of glucose into 300 mL of distilled water. Then pour beaker D into the solution in beaker A, which is now ready to use.
11. The silvering process needs to be done on a level surface, so take the piece of sterile glass out of the wash basin, picking it up by the corners. Set it down, sterile-side up, onto four equal in height supports (one for each corner.) Allow glass to dry, and then place a small mirror at an angle under the glass pane so that you can see the underside of the glass, enabling you to see the silvering process, so you can stop it at the right time.
12. Pour enough solution on the glass to cover it, and then leave it undisturbed until the desired file of silver has been deposited to the glass. This occurs when the right degree of reflection becomes visible by watching the small mirror under the glass. This will take approximately 20 minutes.
13. When the right amount of film has been acquired, tip off the solution by picking it up at the corners and thoroughly flush with running water. Then allow the glass to drain dry WITHOUT touching the delicate film.
14. When thoroughly dry put on a clear varnish with a soft-haired brush.

 

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