Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I'm trying to plate a metal spoon with silver using an electrolytic cell, a spoon, and silver. How can I do this with common household articles? What silver could i find around the house? Could i melt silver coins and then make a silver bar with that? and how would i keep it from sticking to the container?

Thanks

hollys1andonly wrote:I'm trying to plate a metal spoon with silver using an electrolytic cell, a spoon, and silver. How can I do this with common household articles? What silver could i find around the house? Could i melt silver coins and then make a silver bar with that? and how would i keep it from sticking to the container?

Thanks

This sounds like an interesting project, but the requirements to plate with silver and use only common household articles might make it impractical. I did a Google search for "electroplating" and found this site that explains the process:

http://www.finishing.com/faqs/howworks.html

To do silver, you'd need to use a solution that contains a salt of silver. You'd have to do some research as to what that solution might be.

I think trying to melt silver is not required.

You might consider plating with copper or nickel as suggested by the web site, above.

Best wishes!

I found some good information and discussion with just with a simple Google search of "electroplate household"; similar searches will surely find some good stuff as well. One of the gems for your purposes was a long discussion similar to your question here:
http://www.finishing.com/0000-0199/196.shtml

Of course, with any experiment such as yours when you have any potentially dangerous chemicals or setups, you'll want to take precautions such as doing it outside or somewhere well-ventilated, and by wearing goggles and clothing, gloves, and so on, that covers all of your skin.

I set up a similar Boy Scout project when I was 14 or so that won 1st prize. We made keychains for everyone who came by with their initials on it by having small pieces of aluminum, punched a hole in it, put tape on it with the person's initials, and then electroplated it (with hydrocloric acid and copper, as I recall), washed it well, and removed the tape. It was pretty simple, was easy to set up an "assembly line" for the other scouts, and we probably made about 500 of those during the fair that afternoon. And since each visitor got a keepsake, it was a good demonstration.

Good luck!