The Element: Silver

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The Element: Silver

Xiaoying Wu

Chemistry 101-360
Dr. Hoenigman
November 16, 2017
The Element: Silver
Silver, elemental symbol Ag, is a transition d-block metal located in the period 5, group 11. According to the Jefferson National Linear Accelerator Laboratory, it is the best conductor of electricity and heat of all metals. Pure silver has a white metallic color and slightly harder than gold. It exhibits the stabilization in pure air and water. Compounds containing silver can be found everywhere in our daily life, and it has been used since prehistoric time. Because of its high reflectivity, people often use silver in jewelry, accessory, and decoration. It can be easily taken care of even it tarnishes and turns …show more content…

The average mass of silver is 107. 8682 grams per mole. It has 47 electrons which arrange in electron configuration [Kr]5s14d10. The density of silver is 10.501 grams per cubic centimeter. It appears in soft and ductile solid form at room temperature. The melting point of silver is 961.78 degrees Celsius, and the boiling point is 2162 degrees Celsius. It is proved that silver has the lowest contact resistance of any metals. Similar to copper, silver can reacts with sulfur and its compounds. When silver exposures to air, it will tarnish slowly "as sulfur compounds react with the surface, forming black,silver sulfide" ("Silver - Element information, properties and uses"). In order to remain its brightness, it needs periodic polishing to remove silver sulfide. There are 38 isotopes are known, but the most common naturally occurring forms of silver are Ag-107 and Ag-109 with almost equal abundance. Other than argentite (Ag2S) and horn silver (AgCl), the main sources for extracting silver are "Lead, lead-zinc, copper, copper-nickel, and gold …show more content…

It has numerous methods of applications due to its special qualities. Because of its looking, silver has been widely used for products that requires good appearance. Pure silver is too soft to maintain the shape of a product. To solve this problem, sterling silver, "an alloy of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper" is often used instead to produce high quality tableware and jewelry (Pappas). The ductility of silver also helps to create delicate and detailed designs. As its reflectivity of visible light, silver can be used to make mirrors. One of the distinct drawback is that it does tarnishes after a period of time. The compound, silver nitrate, plays a big role in the photographic industry. Almost 30 percent of silver produced is used for photographic purposes. Silver is also used in solders, dental alloys, electrical contacts, brazing, printed circuits, and batteries

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