How Is Silver Used in Mirrors?

Mirrors use metals such as silver to reflect images well.

Silver has been used since ancient times for jewelry, decorations, silverware and mirrors. It is mined in almost five dozen countries worldwide, with the U.S. one of its major producers, according to the Mineral Information Institute. While mirrors traditionally use silver to reflect images, other metals are now used as well.

Benefits

Silver reflects visible light better than any other substance, according to Los Alamos National Laboratory. This makes it an ideal choice for use in mirrors.

Disadvantages

Silver tarnishes quickly, causing it to lose its ability to reflect images. Silver production has been outpaced by demand in recent times as well, according to Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Construction

Mirrors consist of three layers including glass, a thin metal layer and a final protective layer, according to Michigan State University. The metal layer is most important because this is the part that causes the glass to reflect images.

Alternatives

Mirrors used to use silver as the middle metal layer. Modern mirrors most often use aluminum in this portion. Aluminum is actually preferred over silver for use in mirrors because it reflects all light well, while silver reflects ultraviolet lightly poorly, reports the University of Arizona.

References

• MSU: How Do Mirrors Work?
• Mineral Information Institute: Silver
• Los Alamos National Laboratory: Silver
• University of Arizona: Steward Observatory Mirror Lab

Resources

• LSU: M.I.T. Scientists Turn Simple Idea Into 'Perfect Mirror'