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- Name : Silver
- Symbol : Ag
- Atomic # : 47
- Atom weight: 107.868
- Melting P. : 961.93
- Boiling P. : 2212
- Oxidation : +1
- Pronounced : SIL-ver
- From : Name taken from the Anglo-Saxon, siolful, "silver"; Chemical
- symbol, Ag, taken from Latin time, argentium
- Identified : The element is of ancient origin
- Appearance : Silvery-ductile, and malleable metal
- Note : Considered a precious metal
-
- [Properties]
-
- Silver is a Group-IB metal that appears directly below copper (Cu) and
- above gold (Au) on the periodic table of the elements. Pure silver is the
- best conductor of heat and electricity.
- Of course it is a silvery metal. Freshly exposed silver is bright and
- mirrorlike, but its appearance gradually dulls as a thin oxide coating
- forms on the surfaces. It is ductile and malleable, too. Among other
- things, this means silver is easily hammered or molded into shapes and
- can be drawn into very fine wire.
- Jewelry and ornaments made from pure silver would be too expensive for
- the ordinary pocketbook, and pure silver utensils would be too soft and
- fragile for practice use. The same ideas apply to industrial applications
- of the metal. Therefore, silver is usually alloyed with at least one
- other metal. The alloying metals not only dilute the silver in order to
- make it more economical, but enhance its physical properties as well. The
- purity of silver is expressed in terms of its fineness.
- The fineness of a silver alloy is a numerical value that is equal to 10
- times the percentage of silver in the mix. Sterling silver, for example,
- is about 93% silver and 7% other metals, mostly copper. The fineness of
- this alloy is 930. Fine silver jewelry usually has a fineness of 800. Of
- course, the fineness rating of pure silver is 1000.
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