Gold is a chemical element whose atomic number is 79, classified in group number eleven of the periodic table. This element is counted as a transition precious metal, which is soft and heavy, yellow and shiny, malleable and ductile.
The symbol for gold is Au, which comes from the Latin word aurum, meaning bright dawn. A characteristic of gold is that it does not react with most chemical products, it is only soluble in chlorine water, in aqua regia, or a mixture of water with potassium cyanide.
Gold is usually found in a pure state. In nature, gold is frequently found in rivers. By the force of the water, the gold nuggets are separated from the rock and divided into small particles that end up deposited at the bottom of the channel.
From a geomorphological point of view, gold can be found in three types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Gold forms in hydrothermal veins, which are usually associated with quartz and sulfides.
Curiosity #1
Gold is very flexible, so it is possible to turn it into a sewing thread. Just one ounce of gold can be stretched to the point of stretching more than 50 miles.
Curiosity #2
This material melts at a temperature of 1064.43 °C. Gold conducts heat and electricity. Also, it never rusts.
Curiosity #3
Gold is chemically inert, which is why it does not oxidize and does not irritate the skin. If gold jewelry irritates, the gold is likely mixed with another material.
Curiosity #4
Gold karat weight can be 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k, 22k or 24k . The higher the number, the greater the purity of the metal in question. To be considered solid gold, its minimum weight must be 10 carats. To be called pure gold, its weight must be 24 carats.
Curiosity #5
Gold can be edible. For example, in some Asian countries, they put gold in fruits, jams, coffee, and tea. Europeans have also put gold leaf on liquor bottles, such is the case with DanzigerGoldwasser and Goldschlager. And certain Native American tribes had the belief that by consuming gold they could levitate.
Curiosity #6
The first metals discovered by humans were gold and copper. This happened around 5000 BC Gold and copper are the only non-white metals.
Curiosity #7
In 1933, Executive Order 6102 was signed by Franklin Roosevelt. This order prohibited United States citizens from hoarding gold. Whoever possessed gold received a punishment that consisted of paying a fine that could go up to $10,000 and/or spending about ten years in prison. Jewelers, electricians, dentists, and industrial workers were allowed to have gold.
Curiosity #8
The Amersham Corporation of Illinois uses tiny gold spheres to tag specific proteins to identify their role in the human body to treat disease.
Curiosity #9
Measure the degree of purity of gold, it is done by weight in carats. The word carat originates from the Middle East with the carob seed, which was the standard for weighing small amounts. These carts were the fruit of the leguminous carob tree, and each one weighed 200 mg.
Curiosity #10
The first recorded gold nugget discovered in the United States was 17 pounds and was found in North Carolina. When more gold was discovered in this state, by the year 1803, the first gold rush was unleashed in the country.
Curiosity #11
In 1848, in California, John Marshal found gold flakes while building a sawmill for John Sutter. This find sparked the California Gold Rush, which in turn prompted an expedited settlement in the American West.
Curiosity #12
In ancient times, in Egypt, gold was believed to be the skin of the gods, especially the sun god Ra. For this reason, only the pharaohs had gold, and later priests and members of the royal court had access to it. Furthermore, the chambers in which the king’s sarcophagus was located were known as the house of gold.
