Gold

Gold is the eternal metal, unchanged by air, water, acid or time, gleaming in ancient Egyptian tombs just as it does in modern jewellery. The search for gold drove exploration across the globe, shaped economies for millennia, and still underpins international finance. It is also an excellent conductor of electricity used in electronics from connectors to spacecraft.

• Atomic Number7979 protons, 79 electrons
• Atomic Mass196.96657 u79× heavier than hydrogen
• State at Room TempSolidSolid
• Density19.282 g/cm³
• Melting / Boiling1064.2°C / 2855.8°C
• DiscoveredAncient

What is Gold?

Gold is a transition metal in Group 11 below silver. With 79 protons, it is one of only two distinctively coloured metals (along with copper, most metals are silver-grey). Gold's yellow colour arises from relativistic effects on its electrons. It is the most malleable and ductile of all metals: one gram can be beaten into a sheet covering one square metre (gold leaf), or drawn into 165 metres of wire thinner than a human hair.

Gold's symbol Au comes from the Latin aurum, related to the ancient name for the element. Gold has been known since prehistoric times. It is mentioned in the oldest known texts and found in the earliest tombs.

Fact All the gold ever mined in human history, estimated at approx. 197,000 tonnes, would fit into a cube with sides of approx. 21.7 metres. Despite its scarcity, gold is so malleable and indestructible that virtually all of it still exists in some form, in vaults, jewellery, electronics and teeth worldwide.

Where you find Gold

On Earth

Gold is found as native metal in veins, placers and ocean sediments. China, Australia, Russia, USA, Canada are major producers.

How we use Gold

• Jewellery and coinage: the primary use for most of history, and still accounting for about half of all gold demand.. Jewellery and investment
• Electronics, gold-plated contacts, connectors and circuit board pads ensure reliable, corrosion-proof connections in aerospace, computers and communications.. Electronics
• Medical uses, gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment and gold alloys in dental crowns.. Medicine
• Spacecraft thermal control, gold-coated foil reflects infrared radiation to keep spacecraft at the right temperature.. Spacecraft

Did you know? All the gold ever mined in human history, estimated at approx. 197,000 tonnes, would fit into a cube with sides of approx. 21.7 metres. Despite its scarcity, gold is so malleable and indestructible that virtually all of it still exists in some form, in vaults, jewellery, electronics and teeth worldwide.

How it was discovered

Gold's symbol Au comes from the Latin aurum, related to the ancient name for the element. Gold has been known since prehistoric times. It is mentioned in the oldest known texts and found in the earliest tombs.

Deeper dive: gold properties and applications

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Moving to 80 protons on the periodic table takes us to the next element.