Photochemistry and Pinhole Photography: an Interdisciplinary Experiment

In this Activity, students use an oatmeal canister to make a pinhole camera, load it with black and white photographic paper, and create a paper negative using the camera. This interdisciplinary Activity combines chemistry and art. The reactions in black and white photography are good examples of photochemistry and multiphase chemical reactions, since the light sensitive materials (silver halides) are in the form of a gelatin emulsion of microscopic crystals.