gold & silver | gold | silver
Atomic weight: 107.9
Melting point : 960.5 degrees C
Specific gravity: 10.5 when pure
Hardness: 2.5 - 3
Silver is a ductile, malleable, brilliant greyish-white element. The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, meaning "argentum" - an archaic or poetic word for silver. It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal. The term "sterling" for English currency denotes a specific weight of silver which has come to mean excellence. The price of silver and other precious metals is quoted in terms of troy ounces. The term "troy" is derived from Troyes, France, a major trading city of the middle ages. One troy ounce equals 31.1 grams.
Silver is found as a free metal in nature. Since the beginning of civilisation, its remarkable properties have been available for practical and artistic use. The unique properties of silver also find application today throughout science and technology.
An idea of its range of applications can be gained by reading the titles of over seven thousand papers and patents reported in technical and scientific literature each year. In each of these new advances the use of silver is critical.
Technology
The photographic industry consumes 35% of the silver used throughout the world. Silver halides, coupled with dyes produce colour images. X-Ray and black & white photography also rely on silver.
Watches, cameras and calculators use silver batteries to provide higher voltage and long life. Silver oxide-zinc batteries, which have twice the electrical capacity of lead-acid batteries of the same size, are used extensively in aircraft and submarines, where weight is critical. Silver concentrates the sun’s rays on solar collectors, backs mirrors and protects the heat reflecting gold film on office windows. Under the keys of almost every personal computer is a panel of switches with silver contacts to carry out the countless millions of instructions.
above left: Silver is used in x ray, as well as colour and black and white films.
above right: Silver is used in watch batteries.
Silver thiosulphate prevents the release of ethylene gas from cut flowers making it possible to market long lasting flowers for export. It can be prepared as crystals of silver iodine and seeded into cold cloud to produce raindrops or snowflakes.
In the home, silver will activate oxygen to kill bacteria and can be used in swimming pool filters or to purify drinking water. Each year millions of water purifiers are sold to rid drinking water of bacteria, chlorine, lead, trihalomethanes, particulate and odour. Silver is used to prevent the build-up of bacteria and algae in the filters.
Microwave cooking is made more appetising due to a silver alloy coating applied to the bottom of microwave cookware. The surface of the cookware will reach 260 degrees C in five minutes, resulting in a browning or crisping of food surfaces.
above left: Silver sulphadiazine-based burn creams are a life saver for burn victims. The burn cream is antiseptic and does not retard the growth of cells.
above right: Arthritis pills showing their silver coating.
Silver—and gold—are used in the treatment of arthritis where gold can be injected into muscles, and silver is used to coat arthritis pills.
Burns are disinfected with silver creams and bones are mended with cement containing antibacterial silver salts. Silver is combined with the powerful chemotherapeutic agent sulphadiazine to produce a drug 50 times more powerful than sulphadiazine alone. It is the most widely used drug for treating burn wounds.
Silver is also widely used in dentistry. Silver nitrate can be administered to new-born infants’ eyes to eliminate the incidence of Gonococcal Ophthalmia, a disease which can cause blindness.
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