Only chemical element with pure yellow color. Gold is the most expensive and rare metal on earth. In the periodic table it is represented as Au and its atomic number is 79. Here we have gathered some interesting facts about gold for kids.

Gold never get ruins  

Neither gold breaks down nor does it ruin. On melting it can easily be transformed into any design.

How much gold has been mined yet?

According to an estimate, there have been 100,000 tons of gold unearthed since 1500 AD.

Soft Metal

Gold is a soft metal that’s why it is easy to combine it with any other metal on melting. You can cut gold with a knife. As gold is the most ductile metal it is easy to press it. Even a thickness of 0.12 millionths of a meter can press it into a foil.

Atomic Number

The atomic number of gold is 79.

Atomic Mass

The metal has an atomic mass of 197 so the number of neutrons in gold are 118.

Does Antarctica has gold deposits?

Gold mining is not allowed in Antarctica due to an international treaty which bans miners from finding gold here. Scientists say there may be huge deposits of gold in Antarctica.  

High Unite Weight

The unit weight of gold is high. The weight of one unit is 19.3 g/cu cm. Gold is 19 times heavier than water. And iron is three times lighter than gold.

Panning for Gold

This method is used by gold miners to extract gold from sand. Gravel and sand are placed in a pan and then washed with water. Water washes away the sand leaving behind gold which sits in the bottom of the pan.

Gold Coast

Ghana located in West Africa is known as the gold coast. It is because most of the World’s gold came from Ghana earlier in the 1800s.   

Discoveries of Gold around World

Many gold discoveries were reported in the 1800s. In the early 1848, gold nuggets were discovered in the Sacramento Valley by James Marshall in California. From there the California gold rush sparked.

Gold discovery in different countries

Gold was discovered in Australia in 1851. Discovery of gold in South Africa, in 1886, became the basis for war between Boers and British. Gold deposits were discovered in Alaska in 1896. The principal gold mining locations these days are Russia, South Africa, China, Canada and Brazil.  

Largest gold deposits in the world

Largest gold deposits in the world are present in South Deep gold mines in South Africa. The Witwatersrand mine is responsible for the production of 40 percent of the world’s gold.

Melting Point

Though gold is solid at room temperature. But it starts melting as the temperature reaches 1943 degree Fahrenheit. The melting point of gold can be reduced by adding a significant amount of copper in it.

Most Powerful Battery

In the Periodic Table the element with the lowest oxidation potential is gold. If gold is used as a cathode of a battery then it would be the most powerful battery ever created.

Conductor of heat and electricity

Gold is one of the best conductors of both heat and electricity.

When exposed to air and water  

Gold unlike some other metal doesn’t rust when exposed water. Similarly, being a noble metal it resists degradation when brought into air.

Atomic Bonding in Gold

The atomic bonding between the gold molecules is loose, that’s why they slide past each other.

Gold as tooth filling

Alone in the United States 12 tons of gold is used to fill cavities in the teeth. Well, it’s quite expensive.

Cancer Treatment

Small specks of gold added in liquid can destroy cancer cells in ovaries and prostate.

Tasteless and Odorless

Metal ions are responsible for the odor of metallic compounds. Pure-metallic gold is both tasteless and odorless.

Gold is Nontoxic

However, it can be allergic to some but pure gold is not toxic at all. Gold flakes can be eaten with food. We all have heard about gold ice-cream.

Is gold soluble in water?

Gold is insoluble and unreactive in water. Normally acids are used to dissolve metals. But a mixture of acids called Aqua Regia is used to dissolve gold.

So after reading these facts about gold, are you tempted to buy gold jewelry now?