Why is it important to keep silver nitrate solutions away from light?

Keeping silver nitrate solutions away from light is crucial primarily because light can degrade the solution's effectiveness. Silver nitrate is sensitive to light, and exposure can lead to the photodecomposition of the compound, resulting in the formation of silver metal and impairing its functionality as a reagent in latent print development. This degradation can compromise the results of fingerprint analysis, as the solution may not adequately react with the residues left by the fingerprints, thus affecting the quality of the prints developed.

The other options do not accurately represent the primary concern associated with silver nitrate exposure to light. While evaporation can be a concern for liquid solutions in general, it is not the main reason for storing silver nitrate in the dark. Chemical reactions can occur with various substances, but in this specific scenario, the reaction of concern is the light-induced breakdown of silver nitrate rather than an interaction with other chemicals. Lastly, ink damage is not relevant to the handling of silver nitrate, which is mainly used for developing prints rather than interacting with inks. Hence, maintaining the effectiveness of silver nitrate is the key rationale for protecting it from light exposure.