15 Fun Facts About Gold you would want to know
What is Gold
- Gold is a bright, slightly orange-yellow metal in a pure form. In fact, Gold has such a unique colour unlike other metals that it is the only metal that is yellow or "golden."
- Gold is a good conductor of electricity and heat. It is not affected by exposure to air or to most reagents.
- Gold is usually alloyed to increase its strength.
- Pure gold is measured in troy weight, but when gold is alloyed with other metals the term karat is used to express the amount of gold present.
- Gold has been adapted and mixed with other metals to offer different karats (24K, 22K, 18K etc) and colours of gold jewellery (yellow gold, white gold, rose gold).
Where Gold Is Found
- To date, gold has been found on every continent, except Antarctica. The top countries that gold comes from include China, Russia, Australia, and the United States.
- A total of 197,576 tonnes of gold exists above ground, as of 2019. This is equal to a cube with each side measuring roughly 21.7 metres.
- Nearly all the gold on Earth came from meteorites that bombarded the planet over 200 million years after it formed.
Common Uses for Gold
- Gold is used in coinage and is the standard for many monetary systems. It is used for dental work, plating, investments and most commonly, jewellery.
- Gold has many uses aside from its monetary and symbolic value. Among other applications, it is used in electronics, electrical wiring, dentistry, medicine, radiation shielding, etc.
- Around half of all gold mined today is made into jewellery, which remains the single largest use for gold.
Other Interesting Facts of Gold
- Gold is extremely ductile and the most malleable element.
- You can safely eat gold in the form of gold leaf or glitter. Pure gold isn’t toxic and passes straight through your digestive system.
- Gold is virtually indestructible. Gold is a noble metal and doesn’t react easily. Gold doesn’t rust, oxidise or even react to most acids. Most of the gold mined still exists as of today.
- Melting point of Gold is 1064°C. Boiling point of Gold is 3080°C.
References:
https://www.arthesdam.com.sg/blogs/news/the-evolution-of-gold-simplified
https://www.thoughtco.com/interesting-gold-facts-607641
https://www.gold.org/about-gold/gold-facts
https://www.cnbctv18.com/photos/world/12-amazing-facts-about-gold-you-probably-didnt-know-10089981-5.htm
https://www.nuclear-power.com/gold-melting-point-boiling-point/