Hobbies And Interests
Identification
Gold is an element. This means that it cannot be broken down into any pieces that are not gold. The chemical symbol for gold is AU. It has an atomic weight of 196.967. It melts at 1,945 degrees Fahrenheit and boils at 5,371 degrees Fahrenheit. On the periodic table, gold is number 79.
Function
Gold does not rust or tarnish, and it can be beaten into very thin sheets. It has been used in jewelry, and to decorate statues and the domes of famous buildings, since ancient times. Because it is a good conductor of electricity, it is used in very sensitive electrical equipment. The space industry uses thin sheets of gold in space suits and on satellites to protect against radiation, because the gold reflects infrared radiation away. It is also used in dentistry to make hypo-allergenic fillings and caps.
Geography
Gold can be extracted from the ground, from streams and from sea water. Fractures in rock sometimes become filled with lodes, or deposits, of gold ore. The largest gold mine in the Western hemisphere is in the Dominican Republic. Globally, the top producers of gold are South Africa, Australia, Russia and the United States, in that order.
Effects
24-karat gold jewelry is made from pure gold. However, 12-karat gold is only half-gold; the rest of the metal in jewelry that is made with 12-karat gold has been alloyed with either silver, platinum or palladium. As you might expect, 24-karat gold jewelry is much more expensive than 12-karat gold jewelry.
Significance
Gold is such a valuable commodity that many investors keep a portion of their portfolio in gold. Some people buy gold bars or gold coins so that their money is protected from the fluctuations of the world markets. Most of the gold belongs to governments and central banks around the world.
History
The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill, California in 1848 caused many entrepreneurial adventurers to travel west to pan for gold. A few years later, in 1886, gold was discovered in Alaska. More adventurers went there to try to get rich. They used pans with holes at the bottom to sift through the sand at the bottom of the stream. Sand drained out of the pan, but nuggets of gold were too large to fit through the holes. The gold rushes were key to the development of these areas in the western United States. Even now, gold is panned in streams in these areas. It has become a popular tourist activity.