Why Do Mirrors Have Silver Coating?
A mirror is a piece of glass coated with a reflective substance. Manufacturers use silver as the coating because silver is one of the most reflective metals. Polished silver reflects both visible and infrared light, forming a highly reflective surface. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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An organic chemist from Germany, Justus von Liebig, invented a process for silvering mirrors in the mid-1800s. Since then, scientists have perfected the process of spraying a thin layer of silver nitrate over a sheet of glass.
Benefits
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The Silver Institute states that "silver offers nearly perfect reflectivity." Reflectivity refers to the amount of light a surface reflects. Silver reflects up to 95 percent of visible light, which is why using silver as a coating for mirrors creates a clear reflection.
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Considerations
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Many modern mirrors are coated with aluminum instead of silver. Silver tarnishes when it comes into contact with air, which means that a mirror may become spotted or discolored over time. Today, many manufacturers use aluminum as an alternative coating in mirror production.
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References
- Photo Credit mirror image by Lars Christensen from Fotolia.com brushed steel plate image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
