GUIDELINEÂ ABOUT GOLD
Introduction
Gold has been called the most beautiful of all chemical elements. Its beauty has made it desirable for use in jewelry, coins, and artwork for thousands of years. It was one of the first pure metals to be used by humans.
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Gold is one of the few elements that can affect politics and economics. Wars have been fought over access to gold. Cities and towns have sprung up and died out as gold was discovered and then mined out. Many nations still count their wealth according to the amount of gold they keep in storage.
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Gold lies in the middle of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how elements are related to one another. Gold is a heavy metal in a group known as the transition metals. Gold is also known as a precious metal.
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Large amounts of gold are still used in the manufacture of coins, medals, jewelry, and art. Gold also has a number of uses in industry, medicine, and other applications. For example, one radioactive isotope of gold is commonly used to treat cancer.
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General key facts about gold
Is Gold a metal, element, compound or mixture
All jewelry gold basics
KEY FACTS ABOUT GOLD
History
Gold has been known since prehistoric times and was one of the first metals to be worked, mainly because it was to be found as nuggets or as particles in the beds of streams. Such was the demand that by 2000 BC the Egyptians began mining gold. The death mask of Tutankhamen, who died in 1323 BC, contained 100 kg of the metal. The royal graves of ancient Ur (modern Iraq), which flourished from 3800 to 2000 BC, also contained gold objects.
The minting of gold coins began around 640 BC in the Kingdom of Lydia (situated in what is now modern Turkey) using electrum, a native alloy of gold and silver. The first pure gold coins were minted in the reign of King Croesus, who ruled from 561–547 BC.
Physical and Chemical Properties
Gold (Au), chemical element, a dense lustrous yellow precious metal in Group 11 of the periodic table. It is the most malleable and ductile metal, in which 1 ounce (28 g) of gold can be beaten out to 300 square feet. It is a soft metal and is usually alloyed to give it more strength. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and is unaffected by air and most reagents.
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Key data :
Discovery Date = approx 3000BC
Atomic Number = 79
Group Number = 11
Melting Point = 1064.18°C or 1947.52°F
Density = 19.282 grams per cubic centimeter (g cm−3)
Phase at Room Temperature = Solid
Element Classification = Metal
Relative Atomic Mass = 196.967
CAS Number = 7440-57-5
QUESTIONS ABOUT GOLD
Is Gold a Metal, Elements, Compound or Mixture ( Alloy ) ?
A material object may be in solid, liquid, or gaseous form; consist of pure substances or mixtures of pure substances; contain elements or compounds; and may be composed of metal, nonmetal, or metalloid.
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Terminology:
Elements = a pure substance that has only one kind of atom and cannot be broken into two or more simpler substances by physical or chemical means is an element. Therefore, when you break down gold, you still get gold. It is an element.
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Compound = a pure substance, basically composed of two or more elements and chemically combined in a fixed proportion is called a compound. Therefore, water is a compound. It has two elements, hydrogen and oxygen, combined in a fixed ratio.
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Mixtures ( Alloy ) = substances that have two or more different particles are mixtures. Examples of mixture include the salt solution which is a ‘mixture’ of two components, salt, and water. Rose gold is a mixture of gold and copper, and white gold is a mixture of palladium, silver, or titanium with gold.
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Metal = the elements that readily lose an electron to form a positive ion or a cation. Example: Gold, silver, copper, iron, potassium etc.
So the Answer for the Question Above
Pure gold is an element.
Gold is also a metal.
Pure gold is NOT compound.
Most common gold compounds are auric chloride (AuCl3) and chlorauric acid (HAuCl4).
Pure gold is NOT mixture (alloy).
Rose gold is a mixture (alloy) of gold and copper, and white gold is a mixture (alloy) of palladium, silver, or titanium with gold.
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