What is the density of silver and gold?
When investing in silver or gold, it is essential to understand their characteristics. One property of precious metals that should be understood when buying investment-quality assets is density. Density is mass per unit of volume, or the amount of mass in a given space. A less dense object has the matter more spread out, while a dense object has its matter tightly packed. Styrofoam is an example of a low-density object, while many metals like iron are considered high-density. Silver and gold are high-density objects. You can notice their density while holding the metals, as they will “feel” heavy.
The density of pure silver is 10.49 grams per cubic centimeter at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Usually, silver products that are not 0.999 pure will have a lower density because the silver is mixed with lower-density metals like copper or nickel. This can be seen in pre–1965 90% US Silver coins, which have a density of 10.31 grams per cubic centimeter.
Gold is even more dense than silver. The density of pure gold is 19.32 grams per cubic centimeter at 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes gold a good physical investment, as it does not take up a lot of space. Like silver, some gold products are not pure. The American Gold Eagle and the South African Gold Krugerrand both have a density of 17.45 grams per cubic centimeter because they are only 91.67% pure. Gold is about twice more dense than silver, meaning a 1 oz gold coin will be about half the size of a 1 oz silver coin. Understanding this property will help you to make a more educated investment.
