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Gold Facts

The chemical symbol for gold is Au.  It is one of the noble metals, meaning it is very resistant to oxidation (rusting).  In its purest form it is yellow in color.  Other colors are made by adding other metals.

Pure gold is quite soft, and is therefore easily scratched.  Gold is mixed with other metals to form alloys.  Gold alloys are harder than pure gold.  The amount of pure gold contained in an alloy is measured in karats.  Pure gold has a grade of 24 karats.  10 karat gold is 10/24 (41.7%) pure gold.   14 karat gold is 14/24 (58.3%) pure gold, and so forth.  Pure gold is 24/24 (100%) pure gold. Here is a table of the common gold karat grades.

White gold is an alloy of gold with other metals to give it a silvery color.  Rose colored gold is also made by alloying gold with other metals, primarily copper.

The boiling point of pure gold is: 4820° Fahrenheit.

A single ounce of gold can be made into a wire 5 miles long.

About 3,000 tons of gold are produced worldwide annually. About 80% of it is used in jewelry.  Other uses for gold include the manufacture of electronics, because gold is a good electrical conductor, and medical and dental applications.