From: Ted Edkins (tedkins@cygnus.uwa.edu.au)
Date: 12/10/01-07:33:10 AM Z
May I add something To Alberto's reply which I wrote at work but couldn't
send because I'm on a different mail.
Judy, I'm afraid the "prevalent" form of a compound is not necessarily the
monohydrate and not all anhydrous substances keep badly. You are right in
saying that in some reactions the absolute amount of substance does not
have a great deal to do with the reaction but that sort of thing makes a
chemist shudder. Don't forget you are doing chemistry and physics even if
you are calling it "photography". There are bumber stickers on some Western
Australian cars which say "Magic happens"; well it doesn't.
Your white substance in the bottom of the formaldehyde bottle is probably
paraformaldehyde and is, therefore, taking formaldehyde out of solution. I
believe you can get it back by gentle warming but you will get more fumes
so perhaps I wouldn't try.
Of couse you never get a sensible answer from a scientist. We work in a
parallel universe where answers are to our questions, not necessarily to
those asked by real people.
Ted
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