Quick answerSilver (Ag) is a transition metal with atomic number 47 and an atomic mass of 107.87 (2023), in group 11, period 5. It has been known since ancient times. It is used for jewellery and silverware and solar panels and electronics. Its electron configuration is [Kr] 4d10 5s1.
Silver is the best electrical conductor of any metal, which is why it hides inside phones, solar panels, and electric cars despite its price. For centuries it was money itself, coins, cutlery, and jewellery, and photographers once relied on it to capture images. It also kills bacteria, so it lines wound dressings and water filters.
Key facts
| Symbol | Ag |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 47 |
| Atomic mass | 107.87 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | transition metal |
| Group | 11 |
| Period | 5 |
| Block | d-block |
| Electron configuration | [Kr] 4d10 5s1 |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
| Uses | jewellery and silverware, solar panels and electronics, photography, antibacterial wound dressings, coins and bullion |
Overview
Silver is the best electrical conductor of any metal, which is why it hides inside phones, solar panels and electric cars despite its price. It has atomic number 47, an atomic mass of 107.87, and the electron configuration [Kr] 4d10 5s1, and it sits in group 11, period 5 of the periodic table. Silver has been known since ancient times, mined and treasured for thousands of years, and no single discoverer is credited with it. For centuries it was money itself: coins, cutlery and jewellery, and the word for silver still means money in several languages. Photographers once relied on it to capture images, because silver salts darken in light, and although digital cameras have replaced film, silver is still used in X-ray film and specialist photography. Today its main uses are in electronics and solar panels, where its unmatched conductivity matters, and in jewellery and silverware. Silver also kills bacteria, so it lines wound dressings and water filters, and investors still hold it as bullion alongside gold. Silver tarnishes in air, forming a dark layer of silver sulfide, but it can be polished back to its bright shine.
Frequently asked questions
What is silver used for?
Silver is used in electronics and solar panels, because it is the best electrical conductor of any metal, and in jewellery, silverware, coins and bullion. It also lines wound dressings and water filters because it kills bacteria, and it was once essential to photography, since silver salts darken in light.
What is the symbol for silver?
The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, from its Latin name argentum, rather than from the English word silver. It has atomic number 47 and a standard atomic mass of 107.87, and it sits in group 11 and period 5. Silver has been known since ancient times, so no single person is credited with discovering it.
What is the atomic number of silver?
Silver has atomic number 47, so it is the forty-seventh element in the periodic table. Its atom holds forty-seven protons and forty-seven electrons, and its standard atomic mass is 107.87. It is a transition metal in group 11 and period 5, with the electron configuration [Kr] 4d10 5s1, and it is the best electrical conductor known.
Is silver a metal?
Yes, silver is a metal, a transition metal in group 11 of the periodic table, alongside copper and gold. It is bright, white and lustrous, and it is the best conductor of electricity and heat of any metal. It tarnishes in air, forming a dark layer of silver sulfide, but it can be polished back to a shine.
Why does silver tarnish?
Silver tarnishes because it reacts with sulfur compounds in the air to form a dark layer of silver sulfide on its surface. The sulfur comes from everyday sources such as eggs, rubber and polluted air. Tarnish is only skin deep, so silver can be polished or cleaned back to its bright shine without harming the metal.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Zinc (Zn) — another transition metal, atomic number 30
- Yttrium (Y) — another transition metal, atomic number 39
- Zirconium (Zr) — another transition metal, atomic number 40
- Niobium (Nb) — another transition metal, atomic number 41
- Molybdenum (Mo) — another transition metal, atomic number 42
- Technetium (Tc) — another transition metal, atomic number 43
- Ruthenium (Ru) — another transition metal, atomic number 44
- Rhodium (Rh) — another transition metal, atomic number 45
- Palladium (Pd) — another transition metal, atomic number 46
- Cadmium (Cd) — another transition metal, atomic number 48
- All transition metal elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.