Group 11 is a special set of chemical elements on the periodic table. It includes copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au). There's also roentgenium (Rg), but scientists haven't done enough tests to know if it acts like the others. This group is often called the coinage metals. That's because these metals have been used for a very long time to make coins. Even though gold and silver coins are now mostly for collecting, copper is still used in many coins today. These three metals – copper, silver, and gold – were probably the first elements ever found by humans. They all naturally exist as pure metals.

History of Group 11 Metals
What Makes Group 11 Elements Special?
Where Are These Metals Found?
How Are They Produced?
Uses of Group 11 Metals
How They Affect Living Things
See also

History of Group 11 Metals

All the elements in this group, except for roentgenium, have been known since ancient times. This is because they can be found as pure metals in nature. People didn't need special methods to dig them out or process them.

Copper's Ancient Story

People knew about and used copper around 4000 BC. They made many different things from it, like tools, weapons, and other useful items.

Silver Through Time

The first signs of silver mining go back to 3000 B.C. This happened in places like Turkey and Greece. Ancient people even learned how to make silver purer.

Gold: The First Metal

Gold seems to be the very first metal humans ever used. You can find it naturally as pure gold. Small bits of natural gold have been found in Spanish caves from around 40,000 BC. Gold objects first appeared in ancient Egypt around 5000-4000 BC. People learned to melt gold around 4000 BC. Gold items also show up in old cities in Mesopotamia from the early 3000s BC.

Making Roentgenium

Roentgenium is a much newer element. It was first made in 1994. Scientists created it by shooting nickel atoms at bismuth atoms. This process created a specific type of roentgenium called roentgenium-272.

What Makes Group 11 Elements Special?

Like other groups on the periodic table, the elements in Group 11 share similar features. This is especially true for their outer electrons. These similarities lead to them acting alike in chemical reactions. Roentgenium might be a bit different, though.

Number	Element	Electrons in each shell
29	copper	2, 8, 18, 1
47	silver	2, 8, 18, 18, 1
79	gold	2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 1
111	roentgenium	2, 8, 18, 32, 32, 17, 2 (expected)

All Group 11 elements are metals that don't react easily. They also resist corrosion, which means they don't rust or tarnish easily. Copper and gold have distinct colors, but silver is shiny and white. Scientists think roentgenium would also be silvery, but they haven't made enough to see it.

These elements are also very good at letting electricity pass through them. This is why they are used for electrical wiring. Copper is the most common and cheapest choice for wires. Gold is often used for tiny wires inside computer chips because it doesn't corrode. Silver wires, or copper wires coated with silver, are used for special purposes.

Where Are These Metals Found?

Copper can be found as pure metal in places like Chile, China, Mexico, Russia, and the USA. It's also found in different natural rocks called ores. Some common copper ores are copper pyrites, cuprite, copper glance, malachite, and azurite.

Copper pyrite is the most important ore. It provides almost 76% of all the copper produced in the world.

How Are They Produced?

Silver is found as a pure metal. It can also be found mixed with gold, which is called electrum. Silver is also found in ores that contain sulfur, arsenic, antimony, or chlorine. Some silver ores include argentite, chlorargyrite (also known as horn silver), and pyrargyrite. Silver is taken out of these ores using a method called the Parkes process.

Uses of Group 11 Metals

These metals, especially silver, have special features that make them very important for many uses. This is true even beyond making money or jewelry.

Excellent Conductors

All Group 11 metals are excellent conductors of electricity. Silver is the best conductor of electricity among all metals. Copper is second, and gold is third. Silver is also the best at conducting heat. It reflects light better than any other element. Another interesting thing about silver is that even when it tarnishes, it still conducts electricity very well.

Everyday Applications

Copper is used a lot in electrical wires and circuits. Gold is sometimes used for electrical contacts in very precise equipment. This is because gold doesn't corrode, keeping the connection strong. Silver is used in important electrical contacts. It's also used in photography, agriculture, medicine, and scientific tools.

Making Durable Coins

Gold, silver, and copper are quite soft metals. This means they can get damaged easily when used as coins every day. Precious metals can also wear away over time. To make coins stronger, these metals are mixed with other metals. This mixing process is called alloying. It makes the coins harder, less likely to bend, and more resistant to wear.

Gold coins: Gold coins usually contain 90% gold or 91.66% gold (22 carat). The rest is usually copper and silver. Some modern gold coins are made with almost 100% pure gold.
Silver coins: Silver coins often contain 90% silver. Older British coins used to be 92.5% silver, known as sterling silver. The rest of the coin is usually copper. Some old European coins had 83.5% silver. Today, many silver coins made for collectors are very pure, from 99.9% to 99.999% silver.
Copper coins: Copper coins are usually very pure, about 97% copper. They are often mixed with small amounts of zinc and tin.

Over time, the value of the metal in old coins became higher than the value printed on the coin. This is why most modern coins are made from cheaper metals. Common coin materials now include copper-nickel (which looks silver), nickel-brass (which looks gold), manganese-brass, bronze, or simply steel with a coating.

How They Affect Living Things

Copper is important for life, but too much of it can be harmful. It's found in important parts of our bodies, like blood proteins and enzymes. Copper also helps stop germs from spreading. This is why hospital doorknobs are sometimes made of copper. Eating food from copper containers can increase the risk of getting too much copper. Wilson's disease is a condition where the body can't get rid of extra copper. This causes copper to build up, leading to problems like vomiting, weakness, and tremors.

Pure gold and silver don't have a known role in our bodies and aren't usually toxic. However, some gold compounds can be harmful to the liver and kidneys. Like copper, silver also has properties that can kill germs. If someone uses medicines or products with gold or silver for a long time, these metals can build up in their body. This can cause their skin to change color permanently, but it usually doesn't cause other health problems. These conditions are called chrysiasis for gold and argyria for silver.

Roentgenium doesn't have a role in living things. It's also very radioactive and doesn't last long. Because of its radioactivity, it would likely be very harmful.

Group 11 element facts for kids

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