• Question: How is potassium iodine used in photographs?

    Asked by dizzyg12 to Simon, Rachel on 19 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Simon Langley-Evans

      Simon Langley-Evans answered on 19 Nov 2013:

      These days photography is digital and doesn’t involve a film process. Back in the pre-digital age, photography required a film that contained light sensitive chemicals. In the early days of photography the film was basically a glass plate coated in an ’emulsion’ of chemicals that would change colour when exposed to light. The most commonly used was silver nitrate, but potassium iodide could also be used.

Comments

  • Photo: Rachel

    Rachel commented on :

    Hey Dizzy – I didn’t know they used potassium iodide, just silver nitrate so thanks for teaching me something new. I love my digital camera but I do miss the surprise of getting a film developed and seeing what was on there!