Iron vs. Silver — What's the Difference?

A metal element, magnetic, commonly used in steel production.

To coat something with a silver substance.

To smooth clothes using a heated tool.

A precious metal with high thermal and electrical conductivity.

A dietary mineral essential for oxygen transport in blood.

Referring to a 25th anniversary.

Showing great strength or resilience.

A symbol of wealth and quality.

A golf club with a metal head.

A light grayish-white color.

An implement made of iron alloy or similar metal, especially a bar heated for use in branding, curling hair, or cauterizing.

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin argentum, derived from the Proto-Indo-European h₂erǵ: "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal.

Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from Latin: ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table.

Symbol Ag A lustrous white, ductile, malleable metallic element, occurring both uncombined and in ores such as argentite, having the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of the metals. It is highly valued for jewelry, tableware, and other ornamental use and is widely used in coinage, photography, dental and soldering alloys, electrical contacts, and printed circuits. Atomic number 47; atomic weight 107.868; melting point 961.78°C; boiling point 2,162°C; specific gravity 10.50 (20°C); valence 1, 2. See Periodic Table.

Symbol Fe A silvery-white, lustrous, malleable, ductile, magnetic or magnetizable, metallic element occurring abundantly in combined forms, notably in hematite, limonite, magnetite, and taconite, and used alloyed in a wide range of important structural materials. Atomic number 26; atomic weight 55.845; melting point 1,538°C; boiling point 2,861°C; specific gravity 7.874 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 6. See Periodic Table.

This metallic element as a commodity or medium of exchange.

Great hardness or strength; firmness

Coins made of this metallic element.

(Sports) Any of a series of golf clubs having a bladelike metal head and numbered from one to nine in order of increasing loft.

A medal made of silver awarded to one placing second in a competition, as in the Olympics.

A metal appliance with a handle and a weighted flat bottom, used when heated to press wrinkles from fabric.

Domestic articles, such as tableware, made of or plated with silver.

A harpoon.

Tableware, especially eating and serving utensils, made of steel or another metal.

Irons Fetters; shackles.

A lustrous medium gray.

A tonic, pill, or other medication containing iron and taken as a dietary supplement.

A silver salt, especially silver nitrate, used to sensitize paper.

Made of or containing iron

Made of or containing silver

Strong, healthy, and capable of great endurance

Resembling silver, especially in having a lustrous shine; silvery.

Inflexible; unyielding

Of a lustrous medium gray

Holding tightly; very firm

Having a soft, clear, resonant sound.

To press and smooth with a heated iron

Eloquent; persuasive

To remove (creases) by pressing.

Favoring the adoption of silver as a standard of currency

To put into irons; fetter.

Of or constituting a 25th anniversary.

To fit or clad with iron.

To cover, plate, or adorn with silver or a similar lustrous substance.

To iron clothes.

To give a silver color to.

(uncountable) A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.

To coat (photographic paper) with a film of silver nitrate or other silver salt.

A metallic chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.

To become silvery.

Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.

(uncountable) A lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic number 47, atomic weight 107.87, symbol Ag.

(countable) A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.

Coins made from silver or any similar white metal.

(usually plural, irons) shackles.

Cutlery and other eating utensils, whether silver or made from some other white metal.

(slang) A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.

Any items made from silver or any other white metal.

(uncountable) A dark shade of the color silver.

(uncountable) A shiny gray color.

(golf) A golf club used for middle-distance shots.

(countable) a silver medal

Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.

Anything resembling silver; something shiny and white.

(weightlifting) Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.

Made from silver.

A meteorite consisting primarily of metallic iron (mixed with a small amount of nickel), as opposed to one composed mainly of stony material.

Made from another white metal.

A safety curtain in a theatre.

Having a color like silver: a shiny gray.

Dumb bombs, those without guidance systems.

Denoting the twenty-fifth anniversary, especially of a wedding.

(not comparable) Made of the metal iron.

(of commercial services) Premium, but inferior to gold.

(figuratively) Strong as of will, inflexible.

Having the clear, musical tone of silver; soft and clear in sound.

(transitive) To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.

To acquire a silvery colour.

To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.

To cover with silver, or with a silvery metal.

(transitive) To furnish or arm with iron.

To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

The most common and most useful metallic element, being of almost universal occurrence, usually in the form of an oxide (as hematite, magnetite, etc.), or a hydrous oxide (as limonite, turgite, etc.). It is reduced on an enormous scale in three principal forms; viz., cast iron, steel, and wrought iron. Iron usually appears dark brown, from oxidation or impurity, but when pure, or on a fresh surface, is a gray or white metal. It is easily oxidized (rusted) by moisture, and is attacked by many corrosive agents. Symbol Fe (Latin Ferrum). Atomic number 26, atomic weight 55.847. Specific gravity, pure iron, 7.86; cast iron, 7.1. In magnetic properties, it is superior to all other substances.

To make hoary, or white, like silver.

An instrument or utensil made of iron; - chiefly in composition; as, a flatiron, a smoothing iron, etc.

A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile, very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the "noble" metals, so-called, not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.

Fetters; chains; handcuffs; manacles.

Coin made of silver; silver money.

Strength; power; firmness; inflexibility; as, to rule with a rod of iron.

Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.

An iron-headed club with a deep face, chiefly used in making approaches, lifting a ball over hazards, etc.

The color of silver.

Of, or made of iron; consisting of iron; as, an iron bar, dust.

Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup.

Resembling iron in color; as, iron blackness.

Precious; costly.

Like iron in hardness, strength, impenetrability, power of endurance, insensibility, etc.;

To cover with silver; to give a silvery appearance to by applying a metal of a silvery color; as, to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury.

Rude; hard; harsh; severe.

To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

Firm; robust; enduring; as, an iron constitution.

To make hoary, or white, like silver.

Inflexible; unrelenting; as, an iron will.

To acquire a silvery color.

Not to be broken; holding or binding fast; tenacious.

A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

To smooth with an instrument of iron; especially, to smooth, as cloth, with a heated flatiron; - sometimes used with out.

Coins made of silver

To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.

A light shade of gray

To furnish or arm with iron; as, to iron a wagon.

Silverware eating utensils

A golf club that has a relatively narrow metal head

A medal made of silver (or having the appearance of silver) that is usually awarded for winning second place in a competition

Metal shackles; for hands or legs

Coat with a layer of silver or a silver amalgam;

Implement used to brand live stock

Make silver in color;

Home appliance consisting of a flat metal base that is heated and used to smooth cloth

Turn silver;

Press and smooth with a heated iron;

Made from or largely consisting of silver;

Extremely robust;

Having the white lustrous sheen of silver;

Lustrous gray; covered with or tinged with the color of silver;

Expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively;

Iron reacts with oxygen and water causing rust, while silver reacts with sulfur compounds in the air causing tarnish.

Silver is generally more expensive than iron due to its rarity and status as a precious metal.

Iron is mainly used in construction and industrial applications, whereas silver is used in jewelry, electronics, and decorative items.

Silver is the best conductor of electricity among all metals, while iron has significantly lower conductivity.

Iron is commonly found in foods and is essential for health, but silver is not typically found in the diet.

Both iron and silver are highly recyclable, with recycling being a key component in managing their supplies and reducing environmental impact.

Iron is crucial for biological processes in almost all living organisms, particularly in oxygen transport in mammals, whereas silver is used mainly for its antimicrobial properties in medical applications.

Iron is far more abundant than silver, making up about 5% of the Earth’s crust, compared to silver's much rarer presence.

Iron's ability to form various alloys makes it versatile for construction and manufacturing, while silver's antibacterial properties and conductivity make it valuable in medical and electronic fields.

Iron has a higher melting point (1538°C) compared to silver (961.8°C), reflecting their different uses and properties in various applications.

Iron is hard and can be magnetized, while silver is softer, shinier, and has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of any metal.

Both metals impact the environment; iron ore mining disrupts landscapes and produces waste rock and pollution, while silver mining can lead to significant water pollution and toxic waste.

Historically, iron has been used for weapons and tools dating back thousands of years, while silver has been used as currency and for high-status objects like jewelry and utensils.

The value of iron generally fluctuates with industrial demand, while silver prices can be more volatile, influenced by both industrial demand and investment or speculative interests.

Iron is typically extracted from iron ore in a blast furnace, while silver is extracted from ore through a process of crushing, grinding, flotation, and smelting.