Element of the Week: Week 1 - Silver

Element of the Week Week 1 - Silver From Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., your Guide to Chemistry Welcome to the Element of the Week e-course. Each week I'll highlight an element and give you activities and information that relate to it. This week's element is silver, which has the chemical symbol Ag, derived from its old name, Argentum. Element Facts Periodic Table Entry for Silver  Silver is one of the elements that was known to ancient man. It has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals, as well as the lowest contact resistance. Learn more... Grow Silver Crystals Crystals don't need to be made up of molecules and compounds, like salt and sugar. Pure elemental metals form crystals, too! It's easy to grow beautiful crystals of silver metal using a solution of silver nitrate and a piece of copper wire. Show me how... Make a Silver Polishing Dip Most people think of silver as an easily-tarnished metal, but pure silver (fine silver) is actually pretty resistant to oxidation. We generally encounter silver as an alloy, like sterling silver, which is prone to tarnish due to the presence of copper. You can polish sterling silver flatware or jewelry without even touching it using common kitchen ingredients. Let's do it... Element Resources About Chemistry's Periodic Table  You can look up facts for all of the elements using this periodic table. Simply click on the symbol for the element to get more information. Element Symbols It's a lot easier to navigate the periodic table and to use the elements in chemistry when you know the symbols for the elements. Here's a table to help you out. Element Photo Gallery Do you want to know what all of the elements look like? Here's a photo gallery that showcases the pure elements. Most of the photographs are public domain so you can download them and use them yourself. Got Questions? Visit the Chemistry Forum  You can ask and answer questions at the chemistry forum. Forum members include anyone interested in chemistry. You'll find scientists, engineers, teachers, students, parents, and other people just like you with an interest in chemistry and the elements. Chemistry Activities for Kids E-Course Are you ready for kid-friendly chemistry activities and games? Each e-course newsletter features safe projects, games or quizzes, and links for additional learning. Learn about the elements, grow crystals, and more! When you sign up you'll get one newsletter a week until you've gotten them all. Sign me up! This email is written by:  Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.