This means that small amounts of different elements are in the gold. Gold is so safe to put in your mouth that many people have false teeth and fillings made of gold. Very pure gold leaf (sometimes called "edible gold") is safe to eat and is sometimes used to decorate food. Gold is used to coat the visor of space suits in order to protect the astronaut's eyes from infrared radiation. A prospector often carries a wide pan, to scoop up the sand and gravel from the bottom of a stream and swish it around, looking for tiny flakes and nuggets of gold. People sometimes look for loose gold in streams, or in places where streams have once flowed. When the stream slows down, the gold settles along with sand and gravel. The water then carries the gold downstream. Flakes and grains of gold that are trapped in rock come loose as the rock is broken up by the force of the water. ![]() Gold can sometimes be found above the ground in the sand and gravel bars of streams. Gold is usually found as thin layers in rocks, but is also sometimes found in lumps. Gold is usually found underground, where it is dug out of mines that are tunnelled deep into the earth. Gold is rare, which means it is difficult to find. This is why the chemical symbol for gold is Au. Gold gets its English name from the Germanic word gulþa (meaning gold). When ancient gold coins or jewellery are found, they look as shiny and beautiful as the day they were made. This means that it does not lose its shine, or rust, or burn, or explode. Gold does not "react" with many other chemicals. It can be made so thin that it was sometimes used to decorate the hand-painted pictures in books called "illuminated manuscripts". It can be made very thin, and stuck onto other metal. It can be hammered or rolled into sheets. It can be pulled into thin wire, which can be twisted and plaited. Gold may be worked into all sorts of shapes. It is also used in electronic devices such as computers. Because it is a rare metal, it is a symbol of wealth. It has been used for making coins and jewelry for thousands of years. Because it can be found in clumps and is easy to work, it is believed to be the first metal that was used by humans. Gold is softer than many other metals and can be formed into different shapes using simple tools and without fire or other heat. Gold is a yellow precious metal that is valued for its beauty and shine. It shows many ways that gold can be worked. ![]() Gold's symbol on the Periodic TableĪ French chalice (cup) 800 years old. Shows the position of gold on the periodic chart.
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