Silver

The most precious metal

Element 47 Ag Silver

Names:

  • English: Silver

  • French: Argent

  • German: Silber

  • Italian: Argento

  • Latin: Argentum

  • Spanish: Plata

Basic Information:

  • Symbol: Ag

  • Atomic number: 47

  • Group number: 11

  • Mass: 107.868

  • Density @ 293 K: 10.5 g/cm3

  • Atomic volume: 10.3 cm3/mol

  • Melting Point: 961.93 C (1235.1 K)

  • Boiling Point: 2212 C (2428 K)

  • Heat of fusion: 11.30 kJ/mol

  • Heat of vaporization: 250.580 kJ/mol

  • Number of Protons/Electrons: 47

  • Number of neutrons: 61

  • Classification: Transition Metal

  • Crystal Structure: Face-centered Cubic

  • Color: silverHardness: 3.25 mohs

  • Characteristics: soft, ductile, tarnishes

Oxidation:

  • Electron configuration: [Kr] 4d10 5s1

  • Minimum oxidation number: 0

  • Maximum oxidation number: 3

  • Minimum oxidation state: 0 (silver occurs naturally in ores in its elemental state)

  • Maximum oxidation state: 3 (the unit cell of silver oxide, Ag4O4, has two atoms of univalent silver and two atoms of trivalent silver)

Reactions:

  • With air: mild, =>Ag2O

  • With 6M HCl: none

  • With 6M HCl: none

  • With 15M HNO3: mild, =>AgNO3

Other Forms:

  • number of isotopes: 2

  • hydride(s): none

  • oxide(s): Ag2O

  • chloride(s): AgCl

Conductivity:

  • Thermal conductivity: 429 J/m-sec-degC

  • Electrical conductivity: 630.5 1/mohm-cm

  • Electrical resistivity: 1.467 X 10-8 ohms-m (OoC)

  • Polarizability: 7.9 A^3

Abundance:Silver occurs in the metallic state, commonly associated with gold, copper, lead, and zinc. It is also found in some 60 minerals including: argentite (a sulfide), cerargyrite (a chloride), many other sulfides and tellurides. 

History:

·      Uses of silver noted from 4000 B.C. thru this century

·      Hippocrates (Father of Medicine) taught about healing power of silver 

·      Romans used silver in medicine

·      Used in other parts of the world for medicinal/healing value of silver

·      Unlike anti-biotic medicines silver has practically no bacterial (pathological) resistance