Final answer:
The correct statement that represents an observation when copper wire is placed in a silver nitrate solution is b) Silver metal forms on the copper wire, and c) The solution begins to turn blue are both observations that can be seen visually.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a piece of copper wire is placed in a beaker containing a solution of silver nitrate, several observations can be made. The correct statement that represents an observation is b) Silver metal forms on the copper wire. This is a direct visual observation as you can see the grey silver metal depositing. Additionally, the statement c) The solution begins to turn blue is also an observation because it involves seeing the color change of the solution as a result of copper ions being released into it. Both of these changes are consistent with the displacement reaction that occurs when the copper wire is immersed in silver nitrate, which can be characterized by the equation Cu(s) + 2 AgNO₃(aq) → Cu(NO₃)₂(aq) + 2 Ag(s). The immersion of the copper leads to the formation of blue-colored Cu²⁺ ions in the solution, and the evidence of this can be seen visually by the change in color of the solution.