Question

How can you determine that a coin is not pure silver if you known the mass and volume of the coin?

Answer 1

Divide the mass by the volume to calculate its density. If its density isn't the same as an equal amount of pure silver, the coin has some other metal in it.

The density test can be fooled if the coin was adulterated with other metals that average out to the same density as silver, however.

Answer 2

Answer: By measuring its density which should come out to be
`10.5cm^3` at
`20^0C`

Explanation:

Density is defined as the mass contained per unit volume.

`Density=(mass)/(Volume)`

Density of a substance is an intensive property and it does not depend on the amount of matter contained in the substance. It is specific of a compound and thus can be used to know the purity of substances.

Density of silver is
`10.5g/cm^3` at
`20^0C`.

Thus if density comes out to be different from the standard value , it means the silver is impure.