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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1999  > February  >
Chemistry Everyday for Everyone
Why Gold and Copper Are Colored but Silver Is Not
Ariel H. Guerrero, Héctor J. Fasoli, and José Luis Costa
Universidad del Salvador, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Santa Fe 2879, 1425 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cover
February 1999
Vol. 76 No. 2
p. 200
Abstract
Having tried to explain the yellow color of copper (J. Chem. Educ. 1989, 66, 400), our aim is to extend that interpretation to the yellow color of gold based on the same conditions as copper: (i) adequate external electronic configuration (s1d10/s2d9); and (ii) sublevels s and d close enough to allow transition between these electronic sublevels to proceed significantly (Cu, Ag). The question remains why silver is not yellow. Radii of silver and gold are almost identical owing to lanthanide contraction; that's why gold achieves both mentioned conditions, but the silver radius is too large for its number of electrons and transitions s/d are practically forbidden. Colors and tinges of other metals are an open subject of research, but this explanation for the copper group is simple enough for high-school level.
More Information
*  Citation
 Guerrero, Ariel H.; Fasoli, Hˇctor J.; Costa, Josˇ Luis. J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 200.
*  Keywords
 Inorganic Chemistry; Introductory / High School Chemistry; Copper; Silver; Gold; Periodicity / Periodic Table
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 June 15, 1999
June 22, 2005
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