Egyptian pharaoh King Tut’s tomb was made of gold and also contained large amounts of gold inside. Decorations and art pieces featured gold because of its attractiveness and metal properties. Who discovered gold? Gold was first mined by the ancient Egyptians back in 3000 BCE. When and How was the Element Gold Discovered? The world mines around 2500-3000 tons of gold each year. China is currently the world’s largest producer of gold, followed by Russia. The element is mined in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Russia, China, and Australia. Gold exists naturally in quartz veins or placer deposits. These medals have a mass of 556 grams in total. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the host country recycled small electronics devices and parts into the gold medals, being the first country to do so. The element gold is mainly used to coat and plate the exterior of the medal. Olympic gold medals are not pure gold, with silver making up at least 92.5% of the gold medals. Gold is also used as a nanoparticle in immunolabeling experiments in biological transmission electron microscopy to localize proteins in cells and tissues Gold in Olympic Medals In dentistry, gold combines alloys to create gold crowns. Plating contacts and gold bonding wire in electronics contain gold because of the element’s high electrical conductivity. In jewelry, it forms alloys with other metals to make the jewelry harder and thus more durable. Because of these properties, many ancient decorations, art pieces, and currencies contained gold. The element gold is a very dense, malleable, conductive, ductile, and attractive metal. Gold’s Applications in Today’s World What is gold used for? Mining companies dump the toxic wastes into natural water bodies, where they contaminate the water and have even more adverse effects on the environment. Toxic elements such as mercury and cyanide are byproducts of gold mining. Processes such as open-pit mining strip away at the land, leaving toxic wastes that are harmful to humans, plants, and animals. Gold mining is extremely destructive to the environment. It is usually found in and mined from quartz veins or placer deposits. Gold only exists in the world in its gold-197 isotope form. In nature, it is usually chemically pure or in combination with tellurium, selenium, or bismuth. Gold in the EnvironmentĪs a relatively rare element, gold’s abundance in Earth’s crust is estimated to be around 0.005 parts per million. For these reasons, gold was a form of currency and backed paper currencies internationally. It is also non-toxic and fairly nonreactive, and thus would not tarnish or rust and would still be feasible to store. Compared to other elements, gold was relatively rare in nature, but there was still a substantial amount of it for it to back currencies. In other words, the value of a dollar was based on an amount of gold, and gold could be exchanged for an amount of paper currency.īecause of its malleability, relative ease of melting, and attractiveness, gold was extremely valuable and was a form of currency in ancient civilizations. Until 1933, the United States used the gold standard, in which gold backed the paper currency. The gold atom has an electron configuration of 4f 14 5d 10 6s 1 The Gold Standard Silver and copper are also in group 11, although gold is not that similar to them chemically. It is a very nonreactive transition metal in group 11, period 6, with 1 valence electron. It is located in the d-block on the periodic table, with platinum to its left and mercury on its right. Gold, symbol Au, has an atomic number of 79. In the 1848 Gold Rush, settlers discovered gold in California, causing an influx of new migrants.

Some luxurious restaurants like to add gold leaf, or small pieces of gold sheet, onto their dishes for decoration. One of the most famous applications of gold is in Egyptian pharaoh King Tut’s burial mask.Gold is one of the least reactive transition metals-it does not react with oxygen or sulfur.Because it is so soft, gold usually forms alloys with other metals such as silver for use in jewelry.International reserves hold 45% of all gold in the world.All nations still accept it as a medium of exchange today. Gold served as a backing for paper currency in the US from the 19th century all the way up to 1933.Gold does not corrode or tarnish, making it a very durable and thus attractive metal.When flattened, 1 ounce of gold can produce 187 square feet of gold sheets.Gold is the most malleable and ductile element on the periodic table.

It has malleable, conductive, and ductile metal properties, and its bright, attractive color makes it a very valuable metal. The element gold is a well-known transition metal with atomic number 79.

Gold in element chart