Yes, silver reacts with egg, causing it to tarnish.
Here's a breakdown of why and how:
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The culprit: Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). Eggs, particularly when cooked, release hydrogen sulfide, a gas containing sulfur.
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The Reaction: Silver (Ag) reacts with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the air to form silver sulfide (Ag2S), which is the black tarnish you see on silver.
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Equation: The chemical reaction can be represented as: 2Ag + H2S → Ag2S + H2
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Speed of Reaction: The reaction is faster when silver is exposed to freshly hard-boiled eggs because the concentration of hydrogen sulfide is much higher than in a typical environment. Freshly polished silver tarnishes faster than already tarnished silver.
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Why it Matters: This tarnish is a form of corrosion, though often superficial. It affects the appearance of silverware and jewelry.
In essence, the sulfur compounds released by eggs readily react with silver, leading to the formation of silver sulfide and the characteristic tarnishing.
