Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from Latin: aurum) and atomic number 79. It is a dense, soft, shiny, and highly malleable metal. Gold has been prized for its beauty, rarity, and value for thousands of years and is used in jewelry, currency, and as a symbol of wealth.
Does not react with most chemicals, but can form compounds with cyanide and halogens
Occurrence and Uses
Gold is found in nature as nuggets or grains in rocks, rivers, and alluvial deposits. It is also found in the form of compounds in ores such as pyrite and calaverite. The primary uses of gold include:
Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.