Should you steal the silver?

Question

If you're a chemistry student in a college somewhere and you notice they have a large box of AgNO3 laying around, Is it okay (morally proper) to steal the Silver Nitrate from the lab, then set up your own apparatus to separate the silver from the nitrates (this is actually a pretty easy electrolysis project) and sell the silver on the black market?

Answer 1

I think you know the answer to the morality question already.  If you don't, there's something seriously wrong.

But what's worse is that the money doesn't add up either.  Let's say that you take 100 grams of AgNO3.  100 grams of AgNO3 costs $127.00.    63% of the AgNO3 is silver, so after you buy glassware, a power supply, and filters, you would recover about 60 grams of silver that would be worth $28.  That is far less than the equipment that you would have to purchase to do it.

There would have to be 10 kg of AgNO3 available just so you would break even and you'd still have to deal with the morality issues and the possibility of going to jail for it.

Answer 2

I'm sure that a lot of your classmates carry money in the wallets and or purses.  Why don't you try stealing that money while you're at it.  Since everyone's tuition pays for lab supplies, it's no different than stealing the silver.

Answer 3

well to be 100% honest its probably worse to steal from your classmates wallets.....as it requires no enginuity.....