How do you tell silver from aluminum?

Question

I'm evaluating a coin and a magnet sticks to it... What is it or how can I tell?

Answer 1

When it comes to coins,
i) Silver is heavy, alluminium is light. You can easily tell.
ii) On uncirculated coins, silver has a white luster finish, while alluminium luster looks grayish.
iii) Silver coins normally have a higher face value or denomination than alluminium coins.
iv) Silver is hard to bend, while alluminium is softer. But I do not recommend you to bend it, of course.
v) Most modern circulating coins are no longer made of silver due to the price of silver higher than the coin denomination, unless they're commemorative coins.

If your coin sticks to a magnet, chances are your coin is made of pure nickel, or is clad-steel.

Answer 2

If a magnet attracts the coin it's neither silver nor aluminium.

A list of metals used in coins with properties is shown below (the tclayton site). Search the page there for 'magnetic'.

The webelements pages provide a mass of information about all the elements (though your coin may well be an allow, a mixture of metallic elements).

In answer to your original question, aluminium will tend to feel 'light for its size' (low density at 2700 kg per cubic metre) while silver will appear 'heavy for its size' (higher density at 10490 kg per cubic metre).

Aluminium metal readily dissovles in dilute sulphuric acid, silver dissolves in hot concentrated sulphuric acid.

Answer 3

Silver is heavier, and is also magnetic. Aluminum is not. Try saying aluminum 5 times real fast.