The following minerals contain silver. Rank the minerals in order of percent silver from least to greatest: miersite, AgI; hessite, Ag₂Te; empressite, AgTe; and cerargyrite, AgCl.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

- Miersite (AgI) - only contains one silver atom per molecule, so it has the least amount of silver. - Cerargyrite (AgCl) - contains about 75.3% silver, making it the second least silver-rich mineral. - Hessite (Ag₂Te) - contains around 87.1% silver, so it is the second most silver-rich mineral. - Empressite (AgTe) - has the highest percentage of silver at about 89.2%. Therefore, the correct order from least to most silver would be AgI < AgCl < Ag₂Te < AgTe, which is represented by choice letter E.

The Following Minerals Contain Silver