Gold (Au) – Periodic Table [Element Information & More]

Gold element (Au) is in group 11 and period 6 of a periodic table. Gold is in the d-block and it is classified as a transition element on the periodic table.

There is a lot more information related to gold which is mentioned in the Information Table given below.

So let’s dive right into it!

Table of contents

• Gold element (Information Table)
• Gold element in Periodic table
• Facts about Gold
• Properties of Gold
• Uses of Gold

Gold Element (Information Table)

The important data related to gold element is given in the table below.

Appearance of gold	Yellow shiny metallic luster
Atomic number of gold	79
Symbol of gold	Au
Atomic mass of gold	196.97 u
Protons, Neutrons & Electrons in gold	Protons: 79, Neutrons: 118, Electrons: 79
State of gold (at STP)	Solid
Group number of gold in periodic table	11
Period number of gold in periodic table	6
Block of gold in periodic table	d-block
Category of gold	Transition metal
Bohr model or Electrons per shell or Electrons arrangement in gold	2, 8, 18, 32, 18, 1
Electron configuration of gold	[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1
Orbital diagram of gold
Electronegativity of gold (on pauling scale)	2.54
Atomic radius of gold (van der Waals radius)	166 picometers
Density of gold	19.3 g/cm3
1st ionization energy of gold	9.226 eV
Main isotope of gold	197Au
Melting point of gold	1337 K or 1064 °C or 1947 °F
Boiling point of gold	3243 K or 2970 °C or 5378 °F
Crystal structure of gold	Face Centered Cubic (FCC)

Also see: Interactive Periodic Table (It has rotating bohr models as well as many other details of all the 118 elements in a single periodic table).

Gold element in Periodic table

The Gold element (Au) has the atomic number 79 and is located in group 11 and period 6. Gold is a metal and it is classified as a transition element.

Click on above elements in the periodic table to see their information.

Facts about gold

Here are a few interesting facts about the gold element.

1. The name gold came from the Latin word “aurum”. (Aurum is the Latin word for gold).
2. Gold is a very ancient element and it has been known since ancient times.
3. South Africa produces around 2/3^rd of the total gold which makes it a leading producer of gold in the world.
4. Gold is available from earth’s crust as well as ocean.
5. Around 78% of the total gold is used in jewelry.

Properties of gold

Here is a list of some physical properties and chemical properties of gold.

Physical properties of gold

• Gold is the only metal that has a yellowish lustrous surface.
• Gold metal can also conduct heat and electricity.
• Gold is ductile and malleable metal.
• Gold has FCC crystal structure.
• The density of gold is 19.3 g/cm³ and its atomic mass is 196.97 amu.
• The melting point and boiling point of gold is 1337 K and 3243 K respectively.

Chemical properties of gold

• Gold is highly resistive metal and it does not corrode.
• The common oxidation states of gold are +1 and +3.
• Gold is chemically inert to most of the acids, but it dissolves in aqua regia.
• The powdered form of gold reacts with chlorine to form AuCl₃. This reaction takes place at 180 °C.
• At higher temperatures, gold shows chemical reaction with highly reactive element fluorine and forms gold (III) fluoride.

Uses of gold

Here are some uses of the gold element.

• Most of the gold (around 78%) is used in making ornaments and jewelry.
• In ancient times, gold coins were used as a currency.
• Medals and trophies are also made of gold metal.
• Gold is nonallergic and hence it is also used in dentistry.
• Gold can conduct very small electric currents and hence it is also used in some electrical devices.

External resources:

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