Silver. Ag: at. wt. 107.880; at. no. 47; valence, 1 and 2. Found native or associated with copper, gold, lead; the principal ores are argentite, kerargyrite, horn silver, proustite, pyrargyrite. Constitutes 1 X 10 ^–5 % of the crust of the earth. Extraction from the ores: Percy, et al., cited by Mellor, A Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry 3, 301 (1928).

White metal, face-centered cubic structure. More malleable and ductile than any other metal except gold; excellent conductor of heat and electricity. m. 960.5°; b. about 2000° d¹⁵ 10.49. Not attacked by water or atmospheric oxygen; blackened by ozone, by hydrogen sulfide, by sulfur. Insoluble in most acids; readily soluble in dil. nitric acid, in hot conc. sulfuric acid; superficially attacked by hydrochloric acid. Soluble in fused alkali hydroxides in presence of air; soluble in fused alkali peroxides; soluble in alkali cyanides in presence of air or oxygen. Most silver salts are light-sensitive.

Use: For coinage, most frequently alloyed with copper or gold; for manuf. tableware, mirrors, jewelry, ornaments; for electroplating; for making vessels and apparatus used in manuf. medicinal chemicals, in processing foods and beverages, in handling organic acids; as catalyst in hydrogenation and oxidation processes; as ingredient of dental alloys.

Caution: Inhalation of dust should be avoided.