Explain photography film chemistry to me, please? More specific Q's below...?

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At my college photo lab we have a certain chemistry. We only have one type of chemistry, from what I understand. We make b/w photos using b/w film, and have a b/w chemstry for it.

I am just trying to connect the dots. I learn conceptually. We use a very very restrictive lab (all the specifications previously mentioned), and so its difficult to grasp the affects one thing has on another because there is no variation...

I am trying to understand what chemistry and film-type have to do with one another. Not everyone uses the same brand film, and yet the chemistry is the same. But we all use the proper film nonetheless? Brand is obviously not a factor, but some other film spec... what is that film spec called that determines the proper chemistry?

What if I used b/w chemistry on color film, what will happen? Or vice versa, color chemistry on b/w film? What makes the photos come out b/w, the film or the chemistry?... if both then what if one criterion is not met?

Its just all very confusing, and the teachers wont take the time to answer my question because (and I think they may not even know) its beyond the scope of the class. And yet, for conceptual reasons I desperately need to know to truly grasp the material.
Even more... is one b/w chemistry different from another depending on the film?
 
On the box the film comes in, there is a process code. c-41, or something of the sort. This process code has specific chemistry and requirements for turning the film into something usable. Color has a different process code. What would happen if you used the wrong process? Not sure, but it isn't worth the chance to wreck you shots. The true experimentation happens with the enlarger, the contrast filters you use, and dodging and other techniques.
 
Modern b&w is almost all identical and uses silver compounds to create the images. There are a lot of older and less widely used chemistries for b&w that use other metals and other ways of applying them, some of which produce brown images, etc.
Color chemistry is much different and generally using b&w chemistry on color film will destroy it - not produce a good b&w image. There is one b&w film on the market that is processed with C-4 color film/print processing for convenience - I just threw an old roll out.
Conceptually, the silver compounds in the film are light sensitive and when light strikes them are converted to fine grains of silver. The developing process removes the unconverted chemicals and locks the grains in place to preserve the image. Then the paper printing does roughly the same thing - the bright light coming through the thin parts of the image on the negative converts more silver than the dimmer light through the darker negative areas so you develop to get dark where the silver on the paper is heavy and light white paper showing through where it is light.
Color processing involves dyes and filter layers.
 
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