White silver chloride turns grey in sunlight due to the decomposition of silver chloride into silver and chlorine by light energy.
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White silver chloride turns grey in sunlight due to its sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light. Silver chloride is photosensitive, and exposure to UV radiation from sunlight triggers a chemical reaction known as photoreduction. In this process, silver ions within the silver chloride crystal are reduced to elemental silver. The reaction is characterized by a visible change in color from white to grey. This photoreduction is a result of the interaction between the silver chloride and UV light, leading to the formation of elemental silver particles, altering the crystal’s appearance. This property is utilized in historical photographic processes like daguerreotypes.