Silver Nitrate reacts primarily with which component present in fingerprint deposits?

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Silver nitrate primarily reacts with chlorides, which are commonly found in the sweat and other bodily fluids deposited in latent fingerprints. When silver nitrate is applied to a surface, it interacts with the sodium chloride (salt) or similar chloride compounds present in the fingerprint residue. This reaction produces silver chloride, which appears as a white precipitate and can be visualized when exposed to ultraviolet light.

The significance of this reaction lies in its ability to make latent prints visible, especially on porous surfaces like paper. The presence of chlorides in sweat makes this method particularly effective for developing latent prints. Therefore, understanding the role of chlorides in fingerprint composition is crucial for forensic scientists when choosing suitable methods for fingerprint visualization.

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