Describe Properties of Silver

Physical properties

i) It is a white lustrous metal.

ii) It melts at 1233°C and boils at 2485°C.

iii) Molten silver absorbs about twenty times its volume of oxygen which it again expels on cooling. Globules of molten silver are thrown off. This is called “spitting of silver”. This can be prevented by covering the molten metal with a layer of charcoal.

Chemical properties

i) With dilute HNO₃

Dilute HNO₃ reacts with silver liberating nitric oxide.

3Ag + 4HNO₃ → 3AgNO₃ + NO↑ + 2H₂O

ii) With con.HNO₃ or con.H₂SO₄

Hot con.HNO₃ or con.H₂SO₄ react with silver liberating NO₂ and SO₂ respectively.

Ag + 2 HNO₃ → AgNO₃ + NO₂↑ + H₂O

2Ag + 2H₂SO₄ → Ag₂SO₄ + SO₂↑ + 2H₂O

iii) Action with chlorine

Chlorine attacks silver, forming silver chloride.

2Ag + Cl₂ → 2AgCl

iv) Action of alkalies

Silver is not attacked by alkalies.