Silver (Ag)
Silver is element 47, a transition metal in group 11, period 5. A neutral atom has 47 protons, 61 neutrons and 47 electrons, 1 of them valence electrons.
Transition metal- Atomic number
- 47
- Atomic mass
- 107.87 u
- Valence electrons
- 1*
- Protons · neutrons
- 47 · 61
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 18, 18, 1
- At room temperature
- solid
Bohr model of silver
The Bohr model draws silver as a nucleus of 47 protons and 61 neutrons, with its 47 electrons on 5 circular shells: 2 in shell 1, 8 in shell 2, 18 in shell 3, 18 in shell 4, 1 in shell 5. Press Build the atom to watch the shells fill from the inside out. The outer ring (the O shell) is dashed: the electrons there are the ones that take part in chemistry.
Real electrons don't travel in neat circles. They live in fuzzy orbitals, shown below, but the Bohr picture is the quickest way to count shells and valence electrons.
Electron configuration of silver
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s¹ 4d¹⁰
Short form (noble gas notation): [Kr] 5s¹ 4d¹⁰. The [Kr] stands for the electrons of krypton, the noble gas before it.
Silver breaks the usual filling order. The Aufbau rule predicts 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s² 4d⁹, but experiments show the configuration above. Moving one electron from the s subshell gives a half-full or full d subshell, which is more stable.
How many valence electrons does silver have?
Silver has 1 valence electron.
Silver is a transition metal, so its valence electrons are less clear-cut than for main-group elements. It has 1 electron in its outermost shell (shell 5), and electrons in its inner d subshell can also take part in bonding.
Protons, neutrons and electrons
| Protons | 47 | equal to the atomic number |
|---|---|---|
| Electrons | 47 | equal to the protons in a neutral atom |
| Neutrons | 61 | mass number 108 − 47 protons |
Atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons (isotopes). The count above uses the rounded atomic mass, the way it's taught in class.
Silver properties
| Symbol | Ag |
|---|---|
| Category | Transition metal |
| Group · period · block | 11 · 5 · d |
| Atomic mass | 107.87 u |
| State at 25 °C | solid |
| Melting point | 1,235 K (962 °C, 1,760 °F) |
| Boiling point | 2,435 K (2,160 °C, 3,920 °F) |
| Density | 10.501 g/cm³ |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.93 |
| Atomic radius | 172 pm |
| First ionization energy | 7.576 eV |
| Electron affinity | 1.302 eV |
| Oxidation states | +1 |
| Common ion charge | +1 |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
Where silver sits on the periodic table
Group 11: Copper, Gold, Roentgenium.
Questions about silver
How many valence electrons does silver have?
Silver has 1 valence electron in its outer shell; inner d or f electrons can also bond.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does silver have?
A neutral silver atom has 47 protons and 47 electrons. Its most common form has about 61 neutrons (mass number 108 − 47 protons).
What is the electron configuration of silver?
1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s¹ 4d¹⁰, written in short form as [Kr] 5s¹ 4d¹⁰.
What does the Bohr model of silver look like?
A nucleus of 47 protons and 61 neutrons, circled by 5 electron shells holding 2, 8, 18, 18, 1 electrons.
What is the atomic number of silver?
47. The atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus, and it is what makes an atom silver.