Element Gold Research Paper
Nathan Schmidt
Dr. Dwight Meyers
Chem 1114-01
November 2, 2015
Element Gold (Au)
Gold has a very rich history within human civilizations. Since it existed in various places and at different times, there is no definitive archeological evidence to pinpoint the exact location and time in history when it was first discovered. Gold mainly exists in its native form – not corrupted by other naturally occurring elements. The earliest recorded use of gold was around 961 to 922 B.C. by King Solomon, who lived in present-day Saudi Arabia (OnlyGold.com). The sources of gold in the past included Egypt and the Middle East. The Egyptian pharaohs dug mines in the Upper Nile region and the Nubian Desert (OnlyGold.com).
Gold first made its appearance in the …show more content…
It is immune to chemical decay and is non-reactive. Due to its chemical inertness, gold can easily be stored without it reacting with other elements. However, it is still a good thermal and electrical conductor (see Table [i]). Even though, gold is inert, it gold has wide industrial applicability particularly in processes requiring high-quality non-corrosive contacts. For instance, in architectural designs, a thin layer of gold is usually added on the windows of large buildings to reflect back the heat from the sun. Gold is also used in electroplating the copper components of an electric device in a process known as Gold Electroplating to improve the device’s solderability. In medical practices, the radioactive isotope of gold - gold-198 is used in the treatment of cancer while AuNa3O6S4 (Gold sodium thiosulfate) is used to treat arthritis. In photography, gold in the form of HAuCl4 (Chloroauric acid) is used to preserve photographs.
Table (i): Chemical properties of Gold
Chemical Property Chemical Property
Name Gold Number of Protons 79
Chemical Symbol Au Number of Neutrons 118
Classification Metallic Number of Electrons 79
Atomic Number 79 Standard state Solid at 298 K
Relative Atomic Mass (Ar) 196.967 atomic mass units (amu) Melting Point 1064.430 C
Family Transition Metal Boiling point 2807.00 C
Number of Neutrons 118 Density at 293 K 19.32 grams/cm3
Period 6 Group 11 Group Name Coinage Metals
Block (In the Periodic Table) d-Block Number of Energy Levels/ electron shell structure 6 (2:8:18:32:18:1)
Isotopes 7: Half life Common chemical compounds 7 Au-194
Au-195
Au-195m
Au-196
Au-197
Au-198
Au-199 1.6 days
186.1 days
30.5 seconds
6.2 days
Stable
2.7
Dr. Dwight Meyers
Chem 1114-01
November 2, 2015
Element Gold (Au)
Gold has a very rich history within human civilizations. Since it existed in various places and at different times, there is no definitive archeological evidence to pinpoint the exact location and time in history when it was first discovered. Gold mainly exists in its native form – not corrupted by other naturally occurring elements. The earliest recorded use of gold was around 961 to 922 B.C. by King Solomon, who lived in present-day Saudi Arabia (OnlyGold.com). The sources of gold in the past included Egypt and the Middle East. The Egyptian pharaohs dug mines in the Upper Nile region and the Nubian Desert (OnlyGold.com).
Gold first made its appearance in the …show more content…
It is immune to chemical decay and is non-reactive. Due to its chemical inertness, gold can easily be stored without it reacting with other elements. However, it is still a good thermal and electrical conductor (see Table [i]). Even though, gold is inert, it gold has wide industrial applicability particularly in processes requiring high-quality non-corrosive contacts. For instance, in architectural designs, a thin layer of gold is usually added on the windows of large buildings to reflect back the heat from the sun. Gold is also used in electroplating the copper components of an electric device in a process known as Gold Electroplating to improve the device’s solderability. In medical practices, the radioactive isotope of gold - gold-198 is used in the treatment of cancer while AuNa3O6S4 (Gold sodium thiosulfate) is used to treat arthritis. In photography, gold in the form of HAuCl4 (Chloroauric acid) is used to preserve photographs.
Table (i): Chemical properties of Gold
Chemical Property Chemical Property
Name Gold Number of Protons 79
Chemical Symbol Au Number of Neutrons 118
Classification Metallic Number of Electrons 79
Atomic Number 79 Standard state Solid at 298 K
Relative Atomic Mass (Ar) 196.967 atomic mass units (amu) Melting Point 1064.430 C
Family Transition Metal Boiling point 2807.00 C
Number of Neutrons 118 Density at 293 K 19.32 grams/cm3
Period 6 Group 11 Group Name Coinage Metals
Block (In the Periodic Table) d-Block Number of Energy Levels/ electron shell structure 6 (2:8:18:32:18:1)
Isotopes 7: Half life Common chemical compounds 7 Au-194
Au-195
Au-195m
Au-196
Au-197
Au-198
Au-199 1.6 days
186.1 days
30.5 seconds
6.2 days
Stable
2.7