Gold. This mysterious and alluring metal has occupied the souls and minds of mankind since ancient times. All known civilizations revered gold, extolling it as something divine. Why is metal so attractive? What caused its boundless popularity? The answers to these and other questions, as well as all the most interesting facts about gold are set out below.
Why metal is noble
Gold is one of the precious metals. This group also includes silver, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium, palladium and ismium. Metals are very reluctant to react with any elements and at ordinary temperatures are practically not subject to chemical attack.
Gold does not oxidize under the influence of oxygen and does not dissolve in water. Its state can be changed only in a special mixture of nitrous and hydrochloric acids. These interesting properties of gold allow it to retain its original brilliance, color and structure. For such "resistance" it received the title of the highest, noble metal.
Chemical properties
Let's look at interesting facts aboutchemical element. Gold has an atomic number of 79 and the name Au, short for the Latin Aurum, which translates as "sunny" or "the color of the sunrise." So it is designated in the periodic table of chemical elements.
In the Middle Ages, alchemists conducted many experiments with gold. They tried to create a philosopher's stone that would allow any other precious metal to be turned into this precious metal. It was alchemists in the 8th century AD who were able to distill a liquid that could dissolve gold. This mixture of copper sulfate, s altpeter, alum and ammonia is now called "royal vodka".
Thus, many interesting facts about gold became known long before the advent of modern science. Chemistry only confirmed them with experiments and clothed the data in visual formulas of chemical elements and their reactions.
Physical properties
Physical science has found that gold is one of the heaviest metals. Its density is 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter. A golden ball with a diameter of only 46 millimeters will weigh a whole kilogram.
Tungsten has the same density. This is used by scammers to fake gold jewelry.
Another interesting fact about the metal is that gold is very plastic. From it you can make quite thin plates and even foil. When making jewelry, copper or silver is added to the gold alloy for hardness, as pure gold jewelry is easily scratched and loses its aesthetic value.
Softer than gold known metalsonly tin and lead.
Interesting facts about gold tell us that it is very easy to make this chemically resistant metal brittle. It is enough to add only one percent lead to the alloy, and it will break into pieces.
The influence of gold on a person
From ancient times, the value of gold was measured not only from a material point of view. It was believed to have the ability to treat neurological disorders and heart disease. The introduction of gold into medicine is attributed to Paracelsus.
Even in the 6th century, a Treatise was published that tells about drinking gold. It spoke of the miraculous drink of Arab alchemists. It was a red colloidal solution of finely divided gold. The Chinese called this drink the "elixir of life", giving inexhaustible vitality, strength and he alth.
Interesting facts about gold are revealed by modern scientists. They found that the chemical element is contained in negligible amounts in human blood and has a physiological effect on the body. Modern medicine confirms the beneficial effects of gold on humans. Wearing jewelry from him gives a good mood, helps to get rid of depression and hysterical conditions. The interesting thing about gold is that it increases blood pressure, speeds up metabolic processes, and has a bactericidal effect.
Use of gold in medicine
Modern healers use radioactive precious metal in the form of a colloidal solution in chemotherapy in the treatmentoncological diseases. In another method, gold nano-particles injected into a malignant formation, under the influence of infrared rays, destroy deadly cells without damaging he althy tissues.
Plastic surgery is also a follower of such miracles. For the purpose of rejuvenation, golden threads are injected under the skin, which contribute to the formation of a collagen framework for the skin.
Medications containing gold particles have also been successfully used in the treatment of various arthritis.
Sample, carat and ounce
Everywhere, except for the medical industry, gold is used not in its pure form, but in alloys. This increases its strength and reduces the melting point. Mixing gold with other metals to change its color is called alloying. Adding silver or copper to the alloy allows you to get a yellow or red tint, respectively. And when mixed with palladium or nickel - white gold.
To clearly show the volume of pure gold, the jewelry uses a system of samples, which are approved by GOST. The stamp shows how many grains of the precious metal are contained in a thousand parts of the mass of the alloy.
The following types of mixtures are most often used when working with gold:
- Sample 375. Such alloys are used to make costume jewelry, which cannot be called jewelry.
- Sample 585. The most common alloy, which has many shades depending on the combination of metals contained in it. Used to make jewelry.
- Sample 750. Used formanufacture of dentures, premium jewelry with precious stones.
- Sample 958. The gold content in the alloy - 95.8 percent - makes this alloy suitable for the manufacture of rare works of art, applications in art industries.
In Europe and the United States, a carat system is used to indicate the amount of solar metal in a mixture. An alloy of a thousandth sample in the metric system corresponds to twenty-four units of measurement in a carat. Abroad, gold jewelry is made from an eight-carat composition, which corresponds to our 333 standard.
Consequently, 14 carats is 585 fine, 18 carats is 750 fine.
Despite the transition to the metric system of weighing the mass, such an ancient unit of measurement of the mass of gold as an ounce is still used today. The world price for the metal is set twice a day in US dollars for one troy ounce of the precious material. A troy ounce is 31.1034768 grams.
Assay mark
In order for the consumer to be aware of the percentage of pure gold in the purchased product, an assay mark is affixed. It consists of an image of the sign of the assay certificate and the designation of the sample in numbers.
Where and how is the solar metal mined
Gold is an extremely rare metal. It is believed that the bulk of the metal available on earth is concentrated in the core of the planet. And those deposits that mankind has discovered throughout its history are "splashes",trapped in the earth's crust when it was bombarded by asteroids during the formation of the land.
But it is to gold that people owe the beginning of the era of metal processing. The most ancient valuable items found by archaeologists have been around for six and a half thousand years.
The oldest gold deposit was in ancient Egypt, between the Nile River and the Red Sea. Almost 6 thousand tons of solar metal were mined there. The Egyptians obtained gold by washing metal-rich sand.
Extraction of valuable metal today is a combination of exploration activities with the use of modern equipment. The current mine begins with exploration of the deposit and determination of its area. Then economic calculations and efficiency analysis are carried out. If the mine is profitable, it is equipped with hydraulic equipment or dredges. Both in the first and in the second case, the princes of extraction are all in the same washing of gold-bearing rock or sand. Only in a modern mine, this is done not by miners, but by machines.
Worldwide gold is produced in 70 countries. The largest producers are South Africa, Canada, Australia, the United States, Russia.
What is the golden ratio
A precious chemical element has always been used as a standard, an ideal measure of something. Thanks to this, the very word “golden” acquired the meaning of great, perfect, higher. People call a kind and sympathetic heart golden. This is the name of hardworking and inventive hands. "Golden Man" - they talk about who committeda significant feat or showed the best qualities.
So the golden ratio is also called the formula of mathematical proportion, the application of which in art leads to the achievement of the ideal. From the point of view of science, the golden ratio is a formula expressing the division of a segment into two unequal ones. The smaller is related to the larger in the same way as the larger is to the first. This ratio has a golden ratio of 1.62.
The application of the rule is seen in the proportions of Egyptian pyramids and tombs, in ancient Greek sculpture and renaissance paintings, as well as in many natural objects.
The emergence of the concept of the golden section is associated with the activities of Leonardo da Vinci. The principle of this proportion is often seen in his creations.
Interesting facts about the golden ratio were studied by Fibonacci. He deduced a numerical sequence, a kind of spiral equation. Subsequently, it became known as the spiral golden ratio, or the Fibonacci principle.
Currently, the rule is used by photographers and artists to build a perfectly harmonious composition.
Gold of the Ancient World
Everything related to the history of the precious metal is very interesting. There are many legends about gold. And ancient civilizations considered this metal to be the flesh and blood of the gods.
The Egyptians, who discovered the largest deposit, were fluent in the art of making alloys. They used various shades of gold to make jewelry and religious objects.
BIn ancient Greece, solar metal was also personified with the creation of the earth. Gold was used for all divine attributes. Interesting information is contained in ancient Greek myths. The sun god Zeus wielded a golden trident. The sun god Helios rode across the sky in a sun chariot and sailed on a boat of their precious metal.
And some more interesting facts about gold
The largest gold nugget weighed 72 kilograms.
When wearing gold jewelry, its weight decreases as the metal wears away, clinging to skin and clothing.
The ancient Egyptians used sheepskin to wash gold sand. This was the basis for the myth of the Golden Fleece.
Solar metal will never cease to interest people. Due to its exceptional properties, gold does not lose its popularity in jewelry production, and is increasingly used in high-tech industry and medicine.
