33 Interesting Facts About Silver: Everything You Need To Know

Metals make up a large part of the periodic table.

Silver is one of the metals that is widely used in the world. It has been used by humanity for a very long time. Silver is used in a variety of ways, from jewelry to electrical conductors, that you may not have been aware of.

If you liked this article about interesting facts about silver, why not read these ones about how to tell if silver is real and Is silver magnetic, on Kidadl.

Unique Properties Of Silver

Silver is a valuable precious metal. Like other metals that are seen in the periodic table, pure silver also shares several properties that put it under the umbrella of metals, but what is it that sets it apart from other metals?

• For starters, silver is, among the metals, the best electric conductor. Its ability to allow the free flow of electricity is the greatest. There are no metals that can conduct electricity as much as silver objects, not even metals like copper, that are commonly found in wires.
• Similarly, silver is known to have the highest thermal conductivity of any chemical element. By calling silver the best thermal conductor, we understand that it is able to channel heat better than all other metals. Silver has a high melting point, though it does not have the highest melting point.
• Like most metals, silver is a malleable metal. In fact, it is the most malleable of all metals. It is very easy to hammer this metal into sheets to use for different purposes.
• Silver is also the most ductile of metals. The ability of this incredible metal to be drawn and coiled into wires is unparalleled.
• One of silver's other characteristics is its relative reactivity, or how it does not react to oxygen in the air. Silver does not, therefore, face the problem of rust developing over the surface.
• One of the most unique properties of silver is the way in which it deals with bacteria. Silver is known to have anti-bacterial properties.

When and by whom was silver discovered?

Now that we know the different characteristics that silver metal possesses, it is time that we understand the origins of silver and silver production.

• The most interesting thing about silver is that there is no exact time frame or a definitive moment in time that heralded the discovery of silver. It was seen to be around in prehistoric times, and evidence of its usage is widely seen.
• Silver, in its pure state, was very rare. It is seen to occur in the form of ores.
• Somewhere along the long history of humanity, different civilizations learned to extract silver from its ore and then make use of it.
• Silver was one of the first metals that were discovered by humanity. It was among the first five metals humans discovered, alongside gold, iron, copper, and lead.
• There has been the discovery of pieces of silver that date back to 4000 BC in Greece.
• Archaeologists have also found the presence of silver from 3400 BC in Ancient Egypt. There are drawings present on the pyramids depicting people working with silver.
• Another place in history is in the ruins of Sumerian cities. This dates back to about 3000 BC. These artifacts were found in the Sumerian city of Kish.
• The chemical symbol Ag comes from the Latin word for silver, Argentum. Further origins may go back to the Greek word 'Argos'.
• Silver was used to represent something that was shiny or white, similar to the surface of polished silver.
• There has also been a mention of silver in the Bible. It was referred to as one of the means of payment and was used for trade.

Fun Facts About Silver

Silver is one of the most interesting of any chemical element in the periodic table. Here are some fun facts about silver and silver objects!

• Silver is thought to be magical in a lot of cultures! Silver forms one of the focal points of magic and other forces in loads of myths around the world.
• It has been popularized in different forms of media as being a vulnerability of vampires and werewolves. In fact, the reason why movies and other forms of media depict vampires as not being seen on film is that clicking a picture or video makes use of silver.
• Silver has long been associated with the moon. It is synonymous with the fact that, like the moon, silver reflects light. It is the most reflective element on the periodic table.
• Speaking of the association with the moon, silver is also known to be the symbol of the Ancient Greek gods, Apollo and Artemis, who would frequently use silver arrows in their quiver.
• In other Slavic myths and legends, silver was used as a form of ward against evil. Weapons would be made of silver alloys to slay the beasts of lore.
• Pure silver cannot be found on its own and comes from silver compounds or silver salts.
• Silver is one of the few precious metals that are found. They are frequently used in rings and other forms of jewelry.

Uses Of Silver

The unique properties of silver make it the perfect metal for so many different uses. From jewelry to photography, silver metal is used in ways that you might have never heard of. Here are some of them!

• Silver is used in alloys for jewelry, with Britannia silver as well as sterling silver. Sterling silver is composed of silver at 92.5% and 7.5% of copper. Britannia silver contains 95.8% silver and 4.2% copper.
• This reflective metal is used in the manufacture of mirrors. The reflective surface suits the purpose!
• 30% of all the silver in the world is used in the field of photography. The vital compound, silver nitrate, is largely based on silver.
• Because of its ability to conduct electricity better than other metals, it is perfect for electrical equipment.
• It is used in solders, electrical contacts, and so on. Due to the greater price of silver, aluminum and copper are much more commonly used, despite their lower capability of conducting electricity.
• A usage that is currently out of date but was one of the first uses, is the usage of silver coins. Silver coins were the first metals that were used as currency. They were first used by the Athenians and were used in their trade in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Thanks to its anti-bacterial properties, it was used in order to deal with infection during World War One.

Ways To Test If Silver Is Real

Now that we have established the different uses and properties of silver, how can one know if the silver you are about to buy is authentic? Here are a few ways that might help you!

• You can look for authentication hallmarks on the piece of silver. Silver that is sold commercially is usually required to have a form of hallmark that shows its authenticity. The manufacturer or the silversmith will place a stamp that denotes the purity of silver that is used.
• Place the silver near a magnet. If it is attracted to the magnet, its core contains iron and is hence not pure. Precious metals are not attracted to magnets, and silver is no exception to that.
• Put a cube of ice on top of the piece of silver. As mentioned before, silver is one of the best thermal conductors among metals. If the ice melts at a higher rate, the silver you possess is indeed pure.