Want to learn more about silver? In this article, we go through silver, what it is, and how it is used.
- Symbol: Ag
- Density: 10.5 kg / dm3
- Melting point: 962 ° C
- Boiling point: 2162 ° C
Discovery
Silver has been known for long times. The metal is mentioned in Genesis. Slag dumped in Asian mines shows that it was possible to separate silver from lead as early as 3000 BC.
Characteristics
Pure silver has a beautiful white metallic luster. It is a bit harder than gold and is very malleable, almost in class with gold and palladium. Silver has the best electrical and thermal conductivity of all substances, as well as the lowest contact resistance. The metal is stable in air and water but is blackened by ozone, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfur-containing air. Silver has bactericidal properties and kills many lower organisms while higher ones are not affected.
Use of silver
Sterling silver, which contains 92.5% silver and the remainder copper and some other metals, is used in jewelry. A large part of all silver, about 30%, is used in the photo industry (silver nitrate). Silver is used in soldering materials, coins, electrical contacts, and in high-capacity batteries – silver-zinc and silver-cadmium. Silver iodide is used as condensation nuclei in clouds to induce rain. Silver chloride has an interesting property. It is transparent and can be used as glass cement.
Presence
Silver occurs in pure form in nature and in ores such as argentite, Ag2S, and horn silver, AgCl. Ores containing lead, zinc, copper are the main sources of silver. Mexico, Canada, Peru, and the United States are countries with large deposits of silver.
Separated from copper by electrolysis.
The name silver can be derived from the ancient English seolfor or siolfur. Ag comes from the Latin Argentum. Pure silver is not toxic but the salts. A poisoning condition, known as argyria, makes the skin greyish.
