Gold

Name: Gold Symbol: Au Atomic Number: 79 __Properties of gold:__

The element "Gold" has metallic bonds. These bonds are held together tighly by the electrostatic forces between the negitively charged sea of electrons and the positvely charged ions. The electrons of gold are delocalized, which means that they are not associated with a single atom or one co-valent bond. Gold has a high melting point, (1064.18 degrees Celsius) because a lot of heat is require to break the strong electrostatic forces. As well as a high melting point, gold has a high boiling point, (2856 Degrees Celsius) and once again, that is because a lot of heat energy is required to break the strong electrostatic forces. Although "Gold" has a strong metallic bond, the delocalized electrons can slide against each other easily because like charges repel. Gold can be soft, ductile, and malleable because of this reason. The sea of delocalized electrons also enables gold to conduct electricity.

__ Extra Interesting(ish) info on Gold: __ You can get gold in many colours. Gold is yellow in colour when in a group, but when finely divided it may be black, ruby, or purple. It is the most malleable and ductile metal. It is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and is unaffected by air and most reagents. The mineral Gold is almost always mixed with a small amount of silver, and sometimes contains traces of copper and iron. A Gold nugget is usually 70 - 90 percent gold, and the remainder mostly silver. BY SAM AND BRITTANY