So what causes silver to stick to glass on the back of a mirror?
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Be aware that modern mirrors use aluminium because it’s cheaper and less prone to tarnishing than silver. Even so, the process is sometimes still called silvering even though aluminising is more accurate. The glass is placed in a vacuum chamber with aluminium which is heated to a high temperature. Some of the metal evaporates and then condenses in a layer on the glass.
Sorry, I don’t have an answer for what mechanism creates the adhesion between the aluminium and glass, although it’s more robust than that between silver and glass. Apparently chromium is even better and has sometimes been used as an undercoat with aluminium on top.
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