Lattice Structure for AgCl

Ball-and-stick diagram showing the lattice structure of AgCl. Each silver ion in the lattice’s interior binds with six chloride ions, and each chloride ion in the interior binds with six silver ions. Those ions on the lattice’s surface or edges bind to fewer than six ions and carry a partial charge. A silver ion on the surface, for example, carries a partial positive charge. These charges make the surface of a precipitate an active site for chemical and physical interaction that can lead to the inclusion of impurities in a precipitate.