Gold, Physical and Chemical Properties

Gold is the first element recognized by man as a metal. Ancient Egypt was the principal gold producing country and maintained that status until ca. 1500 BC. Gold has been valued since ancient times because of its color, its occurrence in the native state, and its non-tarnishing properties. It was established as the standard for currency by Newton in 1717 when he was Master of the Mint in London. Gold Rushes were responsible for creating large cities like San Francisco, Johannesburg, Sydney, and others.

Physical Properties

Atomic number	79
Atomic weight	196.97
Naturally occurring isotope	197
Relative abundance in Earth’s crust, %	1 × 10−7
Melting point, °C	1064.43
Boiling point, °C	2,808
Unit cell	Face-centered cubic
Lattice constant (a 0), nm	0.40781
Density, g/cm3
At 20°C	19.32
At 900°C	18.32
At 1,000°C	18.32
At 1,065°C	17.32
At 1,200°C	17.12
At 1,300°C	17.00
Vapor pressure, Pa
At 1,064°C	0.002
At 1,319°C	0.1
At 1,616°C	10
At 1,810°C	100
At 2,360°C	10,000
Atomic volume at 20°C, cm3/mol...