Due to its remarkable and resistant properties, pure gold is one of the most appreciated metals. Whether in the technological field or in the jewelry industry. But there are many, many strange things about gold that you may not know. For example button:
It comes from space
It is not a mineral that originated from the earth. He is a cosmic traveler, formed in the chaos of a supernova explosion, a phenomenon that occurs when a star dies. The intense pressure and high temperatures during these cosmic events cause atoms to fuse to form heavier elements, including gold. This gold then spreads throughout the universe and eventually assembles to form new stars, planets, and everything we see around us. In essence, everything that exists on Earth has a natural origin in the universe. then, This gold spreads throughout the universe and eventually assembles to form new stars, planets, and everything we see around us.
Earth’s gold is found in the heart
This is the situation. Most of the gold on Earth is found in its core. When our planet was still forming, the molten gold was dense enough to sink into the deepest part of our universe. Therefore, the gold we extract comes from small amounts that have been mixed with lighter elements and left near the Earth’s crust due to meteorite impacts. Gold is incredibly rare, which partly explains its value. All the gold ever extracted would form a cube with a side length of about 22 metres.
It is edible
It is chemically inert, which makes it non-toxic to humans, therefore It is widely used in foods and drinks, Often as a decorative element and a symbol of high social status. From gold-flecked chocolates to fine liqueurs with floating gold flakes, edible gold often comes in the form of gold leaf or gold dust.
It is almost indestructible
We have already commented on it at the beginning of this article. It is a practically indestructible metal. Gold is one of the least reactive chemical elements, which means it does not tarnish, oxidize, or corrode. also It is one of the most flexible and malleable metals known to man.. With one ounce of gold you can turn a sheet about five meters long or form a wire more than 80 kilometers long. This durability and flexibility have made gold a valuable commodity for thousands of years.
The ocean is a real gold mine
Gold is not found only on the surface. There is also gold in the ocean. The bad news is that They are found in such low concentrations (about 10 parts per billion), so extracting it is not economically feasible. Maybe this will be an option in the future if technology allows it.
Is gold always golden yellow?
Although we typically think of gold as having a very distinctive, bright yellow color, it can appear in a variety of colours. Depending on the metals that make up the alloy. For example, if we add silver to pure gold, we can get greenish gold; If we make the alloy from copper, we get red or rose gold, and if we make it from iron, we get blue or black gold.
We have gold in our veins
He is also part of us. The human body contains traces of gold; But they are just that: effects. It would take about 40,000 people to collect enough gold to make an 8-gram sovereign ring, for example. It has no biological role, but it is another example of how we are all “stardust.” (We have money too(only a few milligrams).
It is a great conductor of electricity
Gold is an excellent conductor of electricity, making it a valuable material for electronics. Perhaps it is curious that you already know, but gold is used in computer circuits and components, as well as in telecommunications. It is a very versatile metal.
References:
- Croswell K feature. News: Tracing the story of the cosmic origin of gold. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021 Jan 26;118(4):e2026110118. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2026110118. PMID: 33472978; ID number: PMC7848598.
- Tan, J., Wei, J., He, H., Su, F., Li, Y., Fu, L., Zhao, S., Xiao, G., Zhang, F., Xu, J., Liu, Y., Stewart, F., and Zhou, R. (2017). Noble gases in pyrite from the Guocheng-Liaoshang gold belt in Jiaodong County: evidence of a gold source. Chemical Geology, 480, 105-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CHEMGEO.2017.09.027.
- Witt, W., Hagman, S., Roberts, M., and Davies, A. (2019). Cobalt enrichment in the Goomasu and Hangaslampi polymetallic deposits, Kuusamo Schist Belt, Finland: a role for autochthonous gold liquid?. Mineral Deposit, 55, 381-388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-019-00943-y.
- Nocete, F., Sáez, R., Navarro, A., Martín, C., & Gil-Ibarguchi, J. (2018). Carambolo Treasure Gold: New data on its origin by elemental analysis (LA-ICP-MS) and lead isotope analysis (MC-ICP-MS). Journal of Archaeological Sciences, 92, 87-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JAS.2018.02.011.
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