It is a metallic chemical element,considered noble for being one of the only metals that undergoes little or no oxidation. It can be found in rocks (in small amounts), rivers and streams, or in large deposits in specific places around the world.
The word Gold comes from the Latin Aurum, which means "bright" and its symbol on the periodic table is the Au, its atomic number being 79 and its atomic mass 197.
The Origin of Gold
Gold appeared in space more than 5 billion years ago, even before planet Earth existed. This phenomenon occurred through violent stellar explosions, called supernovae,which transported not only gold, but other types of important metals.
The supernova consolidation process
Stars are mainly made up of hydrogen (H), which is the simplest and lightest element, responsible, along with the great gravitational pressure, for making the star shine.
Over millions of years, fusions produced by gravitational pressure turned hydrogen (H) in stars into heavier elements, such as helium
(He), carbon (C) and oxygen (O), burning subsequent elements faster and faster, until the production of the Iron It's from Nickel.In producing these elements, nuclear fusion suffered a sudden lack of energy, and the pressure coming from the star's core weakened. Thus, the outer layers suffered a major collapse towards the center of the star and were soon expelled again, due to the sudden injection of energy, causing the star to explode, giving rise to the phenomenon supernova.
Understand more about the phenomenon of Supernova.
Image representing a supernova
The pressure from the supernova explosion was so intense that the protons and electrons were forced to combine, forming the neutrons, which because they have zero charge, are easily captured by the Iron group.
These multiple neutron captures allowed for the formation of heavier elements, which the star would not be able to form under its normal circumstances. They are: the silver, O gold, O lead it's the uranium.
Once exploded, these shock waves scattered tiny particles of gold and other metals across the universe at 110 million km/h, dispersing them throughout the early solar system.
When this cloud of debris compacted, the gold was fixed to the rocks of planet Earth, which was still forming.
Small gold fragments set in rock
Characteristics and properties of gold
Gold is considered a noble metal for having very low oxidation, unlike other metals such as iron. This increases its lifespan and its quality, making it not corrode, even when exposed to elements such as water and air.
He is also the metal with the highest malleability and ductibility. The malleability of gold allows, for example, that with just 100 grams, a person can stretch it, forming a string of up to one kilometer in length.
Its ductility allows that with the same amount of gold, a person can produce a blade extremely thin measuring 30x30 centimeters, which represents great durability and manipulation.
Learn more about the meaning of Oxidation.
gold in its natural state
where gold can be found
To this day, gold deposits are small, isolated particles in the earth's rocks and can be found in many places. However, the largest gold deposits are scattered in some specific places in the world, such as the south australia, a China, a South Africa, O Peru it's the western United States.
The different uses of gold
Due to its different characteristics and qualities, gold is implemented in various uses, such as:
- Jewelry: they are famous not only for their demand, but also for the quality and design that this metal provides in the production of the pieces;
- Currency: in ancient times, gold was used as the only currency in several countries, today being replaced by money. However, in some banks, gold is still used as a guarantee of value;
- Electronic devices: Gold is also an excellent conductor of electrical current, so it is recurrently used in electronic devices such as smartphones;
- Satellites: Thin gold films can reflect a large amount of solar radiation, so they are used in satellites to control temperature.
- Gastronomy: currently, in luxury cuisine, it is common to eat powdered or flaked gold, which appear as decorative (and edible) details in desserts and other dishes.
The Carat Measure for Gold
The carats measure (or kantra in English) refers to the weight of precious stones such as diamonds. However, for gold, the carat represents your purity.
24K gold (karat), for example, is considered pure gold – or fine gold –, that is: in a 24K jewelry, 24 of its 24 parts are gold. However, as gold is extremely malleable and soft, it becomes very fragile for the production of parts. Therefore, it is usually cast with other metals.
Thus, a piece of 18K gold, for example, is made up of 18 parts of gold, and its other 6 parts are made up of other metals, such as silver and copper.
See also the meaning of goldsmith.
