Gold is one of the most famous elements across the world. When you were back in school. You must have discovered it back in school when your chemistry teacher told you that it has an atomic number of seventy-nine and is listed as under transition metals. But if you think that is gold, a type of soft metal, then this article will answer your question.
What Is Gold?
Gold is an element that is shiny and gold in color; and its properties include being heavy, dense, and hard rock solid at room temperature. But although it is heavy, another property of gold is that it is soft and easy to be shaped as you like; hence you can flatten it into thin sheets.
But did you know a fact about gold that an ounce of gold can be flattened into a thin sheet and can spread for about one hundred square feet?
Other than that, it’s extremely pliable, meaning you can stretch it into long string-like elements. But the unique feature of gold is that even though gold holds such properties, it is not brittle like other metals with the same density; instead, it’s far stronger than them.
What Are Some Characteristics Of Gold?
Here is why gold is heavy, strong, soft, and flexible, all at the same time. Every atom inside gold has its weight, making it heavy; hence, the weight of gold is high. But gold is all about its high density. But when you compare it to other metals like tungsten, you will see that the atoms of gold are not tied up with one another very tightly, due to which it is flexible, strong, and can change shape very easily. Hence it’s used in jewelry very commonly.
Another characteristic of gold is that it is of high value and worthy of currency. But did you know that this characteristic of gold has been with it since the beginning, unlike currency which can get devalued at any moment? There are some downtimes with gold, but it will go back up and gain its value back. And this is the reason that gold is something to be relied on when there is great inflation. It is one investment that gains value as the cost of living rises. And the price of gold will increase as its demand increases.
Hence we can say that gold is one of the most interesting metals to talk about. It has the strength of the strongest element, the softness of the lights element; and the power of the most powerful element in the periodic table. Hence, if you think that gold is a soft metal, you can consider gold as a soft metal in nature. And if you are looking forward to learning more about metals and their applications, speak to our experts at Fort Bend Steel Supply. Call us at (281) 499-5800 to inquire more.