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Question

Why is silver good a conductor of electricity?
Why is gold ductile?

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Solution

Silver is a good conductor of heat because it has many de-localized electrons that have the capability to travel throughout the structure and bear the energy. As silver has the highest number of free electrons in the outer shell and these free electrons help in the conduction of electricity so it is the best conductor. Though expensive, it is used in making solder, electrical contacts along with printed circuit boards.
Gold is both ductile and malleable. Ductile means it can be drawn into thin wires. Malleable means capable of being hammered into thin sheets. A piece of gold weighing only 20 grams (slightly less than an ounce) can be hammered into a sheet that will cover more than 6 square meters (68 square feet). The sheet will be only 0.00025 centimetres (one ten-thousandth of an inch) thick. A gold foil of this thickness is often used to make the lettering on window signs.

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