Stephanie Pappas: A 117 Scientific Elements Of Silver

There are 117 scientific elements of the periodic table. Each have their own very distinct identities. They were all discovered by different people, at different times, and in different locations. Each element also has specific properties that only identify that particular element. They all have their own specific uses, but some can be combined to make for a stronger alloy or mixture. Silver is no different from every other element in its uniqueness.

The element of silver was discovered and named by no one person specifically in history, nor was it discovered in a particular area. Silver can be found in nuggets, like Gold, which can be located in several centralized spots all around the world. Although this element can be found many places, there is data dating Silver mining back to 3000 B.C. in Turkey and Greece. It is also known that mining was a priority in Peru, Bolivia, and Mexico. The element got its name from no one given person either. In the article, “Facts about Silver,” Stephanie Pappas, a Live Science Contributor, stated, “In fact, Ag is short for argentums, the Latin word for silver. The word "silver" is from the Anglo-Saxon word seolfor.”

Silver can be found on the periodic table of elements and recognized as the symbol, Ag. The period table has Silver in the

Early settlers who discovered the element figured out the process of mining and refining the metal to make things. “They heated the silver ore and blew air over it, a process called cupellation” (Pappas). Therese Shea, writer of “Rare and Precious Metals: Silver,” stated in her book that in 800 B.C., the early settlers began to mold the Silver into coins for their units of currency. We currently still use this molding process on other types metals such as Copper, Nickel and alloy metals to make our current Quarters, Nickels, Dimes, Pennies, etc. The dime, before 1965, was made with