Group 11
A 1969 copper penny, 1964 silver dime and 1983 gold Krugerrand represent examples of the "group 11" elements. None are technically absolutely pure but are 90% pure or better.
Group 11 elements are also referred to as "coinage metals" and are probably the first elements discovered as they all exist in their metallic form in nature.
They share properties that make them valuable in industry. All are excellent conductors with silver having both the highest electrical conductivity and highest reflectivity of any element. Silver nitrate's tendency to revert to silver on exposure to light is what made it the basis for film photography. Gold is highly impervious to oxidation making it useful for coating electrical connectors. Copper is widely used for wiring and to improve thermal conductivity in cookware.
(Yes, I did have to do a report on group 11 elements in high-school chemistry.)
Technically element 111, roentgenium, is part of group 11 but it is extremely radioactive, the most stable isotope having a half-life of just over 2 minutes, so if I could obtain it and manage to photograph it quickly enough, it would probably kill me in the process. (Due to the fact that only tiny amounts have been created and they decay very quickly, the chemical properties have mostly been theoretically predicted but not observed. It had not been discovered/created when I was in high-school.)
Group 11
A 1969 copper penny, 1964 silver dime and 1983 gold Krugerrand represent examples of the "group 11" elements. None are technically absolutely pure but are 90% pure or better.
Group 11 elements are also referred to as "coinage metals" and are probably the first elements discovered as they all exist in their metallic form in nature.
They share properties that make them valuable in industry. All are excellent conductors with silver having both the highest electrical conductivity and highest reflectivity of any element. Silver nitrate's tendency to revert to silver on exposure to light is what made it the basis for film photography. Gold is highly impervious to oxidation making it useful for coating electrical connectors. Copper is widely used for wiring and to improve thermal conductivity in cookware.
(Yes, I did have to do a report on group 11 elements in high-school chemistry.)
Technically element 111, roentgenium, is part of group 11 but it is extremely radioactive, the most stable isotope having a half-life of just over 2 minutes, so if I could obtain it and manage to photograph it quickly enough, it would probably kill me in the process. (Due to the fact that only tiny amounts have been created and they decay very quickly, the chemical properties have mostly been theoretically predicted but not observed. It had not been discovered/created when I was in high-school.)