Element 47 · Silver (Ag)

Silver Bohr model: diagram and electrons per shell

The silver Bohr model shows a silver atom (Ag) as a small nucleus with its electrons circling it in 5 shells: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O. This page has a rotating 3D silver Bohr model, a flat diagram, a table of the electrons in each shell and the steps to draw it yourself.

Rotate the silver Bohr model in 3D

Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.

This is a Bohr model of silver (Ag), a simplified picture of a single silver atom. Its nucleus holds 47 protons, and a neutral silver atom has 47 electrons, arranged around it in 5 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O).

Ag K · 21s² L · 82s² 2p⁶ M · 183s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰ N · 184s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰ O · 15s¹

Silver Bohr model diagram

Bohr model diagram of silver: a nucleus of 47 protons with 47 electrons on 5 shells, 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O, each ring labelled with its shell letter. — The silver Bohr model drawn flat: each ring is a shell, labelled with its letter, and every dot is an electron (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O).

Silver electrons per shell

A neutral silver atom has 47 electrons, one for each of its 47 protons. They fill the shells from the nucleus outwards: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O.

Electrons in each shell of the silver Bohr model
Shell	Shell number (n)	Electrons	Most it can hold (2n²)	Subshells
K	1	2	2	1s²
L	2	8	8	2s² 2p⁶
M	3	18	18	3s² 3p⁶ 3d¹⁰
N	4	18	32	4s² 4p⁶ 4d¹⁰
O	5	1	50	5s¹

How the silver Bohr model builds up, shell by shell

Watch the silver Bohr model come together: the nucleus first, then each shell in turn, from the innermost outwards, with its electrons joining the ring. The legend names every shell and counts its electrons, so you can read off the arrangement (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O) as it forms.

Animation of the silver Bohr model being built: a nucleus of 47 protons appears first, then each shell grows in around it and takes its electrons, giving 47 electrons on 5 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O). — The silver Bohr model built up in six seconds: the nucleus first, then each shell with its electrons, ending with 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O. Protons are red, neutrons yellow and electrons blue.

How to draw the silver Bohr model

Find the atomic number. Silver has atomic number 47, so a neutral atom has 47 protons and 47 electrons.
Draw the nucleus. Put a circle in the centre and write Ag in it. The 47 protons sit there with the neutrons.
Draw the shells. Sketch 5 shells as rings around the nucleus. A shell holds at most 2n² electrons: 2 in the first, 8 in the second, 18 in the third and 32 in the fourth.
Place the electrons. Fill from the inside out: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 18 in shell M, 18 in shell N and 1 in shell O.
Check the total. 2 + 8 + 18 + 18 + 1 = 47, the atomic number, so every electron is accounted for.

Atomic data for the silver Bohr model

The numbers behind the silver Bohr model, grouped by topic. Radii are in picometres (pm) and energies in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Identity

Symbol: Ag
Atomic number: 47
Atomic mass: 107.8682 u
Family: Transition Metals
Position: group 11, period 5
Block: d-block

Electron configuration

Full: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s² 3p⁶ 4s² 3d¹⁰ 4p⁶ 5s¹ 4d¹⁰
Shorthand: [Kr] 4d¹⁰ 5s¹
Electrons per shell: 2, 8, 18, 18, 1
Outer-shell electrons: 1 in shell O

Ionisation energies

I₁: 731
I₂: 2070
I₃: 3361

Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). A sharp jump means the next electron comes from an inner shell.

Atomic radii

Calculated (pm): 165
Empirical (pm): 160
Covalent (pm): 128
Van der Waals (pm): 172

Electronegativity and electron affinity

Electronegativity (Pauling): 1.93
Electron affinity (kJ/mol): 125.862

Oxidation states

Charges the element commonly takes in compounds.

Physical properties, abundance and history of silver

Bulk properties of silver, how common it is, who discovered it and some of its compounds.

Physical properties

Phase at room conditions: Solid
Appearance: Lustrous white metal
Melting point: 961.78°C (1234.93 K)
Boiling point: 2161.85°C (2435 K)
Density: 10.49 g/cm³
Thermal conductivity (W/m·K): 429
Specific heat (J/g·K): 0.235
Molar heat capacity (J/mol·K): 25.35
Heat of fusion (kJ/mol): 11.95
Heat of vaporisation (kJ/mol): 254.1

Abundance

Earth's crust (mg/kg): 0.075
Oceans (mg/L): 0

Discovery

Year: Ancient

Common compounds

Silver Nitrate AgNO3
Silver Ag
Silver Sulfadiazine C10H9AgN4O2S
Silver cyanide CAgN
Silver Chloride AgCl
Silver iodide AgI
Potassium silver cyanide C2AgKN2
Silver acetate C2H3AgO2

Compounds listed in the PubChem database.

Main isotopes of silver

Isotopes of silver share the same 47 protons but differ in neutrons. Natural isotopes come first, then the longest-lived others.

Main isotopes of silver: mass number, abundance, half-life and decay
Mass number	Natural abundance	Half-life	Decay
105	–	41.29 d	β⁺
107	51.839 %	stable	–
109	48.161 %	stable	–
111	–	7.433 d	β⁻
112	–	3.13 h	β⁻
113	–	5.37 h	β⁻

α = alpha decay, β⁻ = beta-minus, β⁺ = beta-plus, EC = electron capture, SF = spontaneous fission, p / n = proton / neutron emission.

More about silver

Silver on the periodic table – properties, isotopes, uses and the full silver page.
Transition Metals – all transition metal elements and their trends.
Bohr model of every element – the Bohr model of all 118 elements.