Thousands of years ago, possibly while mining lead or copper, a lustrous, whitish-gray metal was found to be present in many lead deposits. This metal has since been used in jewelry due to its rarity and beauty.
The metal was given the Latin name argentum, but the Anglo-Saxons later gave it the name siolfur. Eventually, its name in Dutch would be zilver, in German Silber, and it would be given the English name silver.
Silver was given the elemental symbol Ag based on the Latin name argentum — fun fact, the country of Argentina was named after the Latin name for silver because Spanish explorers believed the land had vast deposits of silver.
Properties of Silver
Silver is a rare, ductile transition metal and is in the same column as copper, gold, and roentgenium.
Silver is generally more stable than most metals, however, exposure to high humidity, halogens, and salt or other halides may cause pure silver to tarnish. Sulfur that is found in the air is generally the most common substance to cause silver to tarnish, particularly in the form of hydrogen sulfide (commonly known as sewer gas or stink damp).
Uses of Silver
Silver reflects between 95% to 99% of all light that contacts its surface, making it the most reflective metal. Because of its high reflectiveness, silver is the metal that’s used behind panes of glass to make high quality mirrors.
Silver is used in many circuit boards, switches, and touch screens due to the fact that it is the most electrically conductive metal.
Because of its antibacterial properties, silver has been used to treat wounds for millennia. Silver is even used in water purification to prevent bacteria from building up.
Silver is used as a catalyst in the production of some chemicals such as ethylene oxide and formaldehyde.
Silver is used in some solders and high-performance automotive bearings to reduce friction and withstand high temperatures.
Silver in the Human Body
Trace amounts of silver are present in the human body. Small amounts of silver are often believed to be beneficial, as silver kills many types of pathogens and may even assist in repairing damaged skin.
What do you like most about silver?
Onward American 