Silver

Silver- the metal that is very well known around the world. It is bought and sold, traded and hoarded- but who discovered it?

The truth is, Caveman Ooga-Booga discovered it! Just kidding... no one really knows who discovered silver, as it has been known to man since over 3000 BC. The word comes from Latin argentum which means silver. This is also how silver came to have the symbol "Ag".

Pure silver is a bright white with a metallic luster to it. It is a metal slightly harder than gold, but it is also very ductile and malleable- something that gold AND palladium are not. Pure silver DOES have the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals and also has the lowest contact resistance of all metals. It is stable in pure air and water, but it tarnishes in air containing sulfur.

The alloys of silver have many commercial uses. Sterling silver (92.5% silver, with copper or other metals) is used for silverware and jewelry. Silver is also used in:

• Photography
• Dental compounds
• Solder
• Brazing
• Electrical contacts
• Batteries
• Mirrors

While silver itself is not poisonous to humans, it's salts are due to the anions in it.

Fun Fact: Silver nitrate is often used to disinfect deep wound like fishers and gashes.