Gold is known as the metal of wealth and money. It is a chemical element with the symbol Au because of its Latin name, Aurum. Today, gold is used in several personal, commercial, and industrial fields. It is also found in nature in several places, including inside rocks or at the bottom of rivers. In this article, we learn about the properties of gold and the impact of these properties on its uses for many years.
Gold properties
Gold is characterized by several physical and chemical properties that make it a distinct and desirable metal in several fields, and among these properties are:
- Ability to hammer, pull and form
Gold is one of the softest metals, as it can be transformed into many forms with ease without losing its properties, and this makes it an excellent choice for use in many works, including works of art.
- Gloss
Gold is characterized by an attractive luster, especially when polished, and is characterized by maintaining this luster for long periods, which makes it desirable in aesthetic fields such as jewelry or decoration.
- Corrosion resistance
Gold has an amazing ability to resist corrosion and oxidation. Therefore, the piece made of gold maintains its consistency, shape, and external beauty, regardless of the conditions it is exposed to.
-High density
Gold is considered one of the densest metals, which is one of the properties required in the field of jewelry, as it gives it great weight in a small size with a luxurious texture.
-Electrical connection
Gold has an excellent ability to effectively conduct electricity and heat, which makes it one of the most sought-after elements in the electrical and industrial fields.
-Melting and boiling points
Gold has a high melting and boiling point compared to other metals. This means that it needs high temperatures to transform it into its liquid state, which makes it resistant to the thermal and environmental influences surrounding it.
- Idleness
Gold is considered one of the inactive elements, which means that it does not react easily with surrounding factors such as air, water, heat, and humidity, which makes it easy to keep it in various places and conditions.
Due to these unique properties, gold has been used in several fields for a long time. It was used in making coffins for kings in different eras throughout history, as it is one of the symbols of power and wealth. It was also used to decorate royal tombs and enhance the symbolic value of kings and queens, in addition to its use in ancient Egypt in the manufacture of masks and sacred jewelry that accompanied kings in their afterlife and were considered... An essential part of their beliefs about life after death. The Pharaohs also used it for daily purposes, such as making carts and household tools.
Gold has also been used in medical fields, such as dentistry, to cover and fill teeth. This is due to its ability to be malleable and shaped, its resistance to corrosion, and its unaffected by surrounding factors. It is also used in packaging medicines and medical treatments to maintain their effectiveness.
Today, gold plays an essential role in modern industries and technology, such as the manufacture of cars and connecting their electrical wires, in addition to space industries, such as covering the surfaces of satellites and space devices to protect them from the rays of outer space. It is used in most modern devices, regardless of their type, due to its superior ability to conduct electricity and maintain its effectiveness in various conditions, which increases the quality of the devices.
Considering these properties and uses, we can say that gold is not just a distinctive element, but rather a symbol of technological and cultural development and progress. The continued use of gold today in modern industries reflects the recognition of its value and distinct characteristics that make its presence essential in today’s world and explain its high price and increased global demand for it.