SPaRkLiNg SIlVeR
MirRor , mirRor
Silver is famous for being one of the shiniest metals we know of . Actually , it ’ s the most light-reflective metal in the periodic table , so it has been used to make mirrors since Victorian times . It would be far too expensive to make mirrors out of silver sheets , so instead a process called glass silvering is used . Glass silvering uses a chemical reaction between silver oxide , ammonia and sugar to create a thin , silvered layer on glass . This layer is just one ten-thousandth of a millimetre thick , but it is still more than enough for you to see your reflection !
Say cheEsE !
Smart silver can be used to store your
favourite memories . In traditional photography , photos are made using special paper coated in gelatine and reactive silver-based chemicals called silver halides . Exposing those halides to light causes them to release a few silver atoms , which defines the light and dark
areas of a picture . Then , putting the photograph paper in a chemical bath , called developer , encourages the halides to release more silver in the same areas , revealing the full image . This process was invented almost 150 years ago and is so reliable it ’ s still used as a basis for both black-and-white and colour film photography today .
Silver and gold are known as ‘ precious metals ’ because they are rare , shiny and pretty – and we humans love them ! We use them to make art , jewellery and trophies , and we once used them to represent our money .
DOn ’ t sWeat it
Aside from being reflective , silver is also an excellent crime fighter ! OK , not exactly , but it does have an amazing ability to fight bacteria and fungi . When a charged atom of silver , called a silver ion , comes into contact with a bacterium , it wreaks havoc with its respiratory system and DNA , stopping it from reproducing and even killing it . Luckily the same effect doesn ’ t happen to us , so we can take advantage of that superpower by infusing silver into the fabric of our socks or gym clothes , killing pongy bacteria to prevent sweaty smells .
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