Element Silver - Book Report/Review Example

In 500 B.C., silver became the fundamental cause of rise of the Athens in the form of a powerful state as a huge enormous mine of silver was located in Athens. During the bronze age, the mines of silver in Spain were rapidly used. The Carthaginians took hold of those silver mines and would pay the Romans from the business done with the silver mines. Subsequently, the Romans took over those mines and used them to bear the expenses of their conquests in the future. Silver has also been found in various other parts of the world at different points in time.

For example, “In 1942, discovery of silver was also made in Mexico, which led to mines being set up in many other countries. Bolivia, Peru and Mexico supplied 85% of the world's silver from 1500 to 1800” (Dhillon). The chemical symbol used for the element silver is Ag. The symbol Ag is derived from the Latin name for Silver, that is Argentum. In the natural state, silver is found as a pure and free metal that does not react until it is exposed either to Hydrogen Sulfide or Ozone. Silver is placed in group 11 and period 5 in the periodic table.

Silver is classified as a transition metal. The crystal structure of silver is cubic. Silver’s atomic number is 47 whereas the atomic weight of silver is 107.8682(2) g/mol (Dhillon). The number of protons and electrons in silver are equal i.e. 47 whereas the number of neutrons in silver is 61. The electronic configuration of silver is “1s2 2s2p6 3s2p6d10 4s2p6d10 5s1” (“Periodic Table”). Silver exists in the form of two stable isotopes, one of which is 107 Ag whereas the other is 109 Ag.

The melting point of silver in centigrade is 961.93 degrees, in Fahrenheit is 1763.474 degrees, and in Kelvin is 1235.08. The boiling point of silver in centigrade is 2212.0 degrees, in Fahrenheit is 4013.6 degrees, whereas in Kelvin is 2485.15. The density of silver at 293 K is 10.5 grams per cubic centimeter (Bentor). Silver is used in many ways. The demand of silver at the highest level can be divided into three main categories, namely investment, jewelry and decor, and industry. These three categories together cater for more than 95 per cent of the total annual demand of silver.

“In 2010, 487.4 million ounces of silver were used for industrial applications, while over 167.0 million ounces of silver were committed to silver jewelry and 101.3 million ounces were used in coins and medal” (“The Indispensable Element”). The cost-effectiveness of silver in comparison to other precious elements like platinum and gold makes it is one of the best and widely used ornamental elements. Silver is used in making jewelry, crockery, and decoration pieces. Its unique silvery-white shine compliments and highlights the color of beads and stones in the jewelry.

Silver thread may also be used in the embroidery of clothes. The unique properties of silver that include but are not limited to its malleability, ductility, strength, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, high reflectance of light, sensitivity to light, and high endurance to extreme temperatures makes silver one of the most important and commonly used elements known. Presentation on Element Silver Silver is one of the most ancient as well as the most important elements known to mankind.

Jewelry and pots made in silver have been readily found in the remains of old and perished civilizations in different parts of the world, which suggests that silver has remained quite famous since the earliest civilizations. Since elements were used by many ancient