I’ll give you the short, and mildly incorrect, answer first: Silver is the brightest metal. Silver has been revered for thousands of years for its brightness. It is used to make the finest mirrors, though it must be covered with glass because it tarnishes quickly in the presence of oxygen. For a slightly longer answer… By “brightest,” you’re likely asking which metal reflects the most visible light. This is measured scientifically through a property called Reflectance . Reflectance measures the effectiveness of a material of reflecting radiant energy. As you might know, radiant energy exists on a broad spectrum, only a tiiiiiiiiny portion of which is visible. This area, between about 390 nanometers and 700–750 nm, is known as the visible spectrum . I bring this up because the Reflectance of a material depends upon the wavelength of the energy it’s reflecting. By looking at this chart on the Reflenctance of Gold (Au), Silver (Ag) and Aluminum (Al), you...
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