Yes, gold can be created from other elements. But the process requires nuclear reactions, and is so expensive that you currently cannot make money by selling the gold that you create from other elements.
All regular matter is made out of atoms. All atoms are made out of a small nucleus containing protons and neutrons bound together, and a large cloud of electrons bound to the nucleus. Since most of an atom's physical and chemical properties are determined by the number and shapes of its electrons, and since the number and shapes of its electrons are determined by the number of protons in the nucleus, the nature of an atom is largely determined by the number of protons in its nucleus.
All atoms with the same number of protons in their nucleus behave almost identically. For this reason, we call a group of atoms with the same number of protons a "chemical element", and we associate various properties with particular elements. Gold is the chemical element with 79 protons in each atomic nucleus. In fact, there are enough precious metals in the core to cover the entire surface of Earth with a four-metre thick layer. Join the ZME newsletter for amazing science news, features, and exclusive scoops.
More than 40, subscribers can't be wrong. Following the collapse of a massive star — at least eight times more massive than the Sun — what remains is a extremely dense core. They have masses comparable to a star, but that mass is compressed into an object roughly 10 kilometers in diameter, or the size of a city on Earth. Another way to look at this would be to imagine cramming Mount Everest into your morning cup of coffee to achieve the same density as a neutron star.
At these huge densities, the fabric and space and time is stretched by exotic physics. Two neutron stars in mutual orbit can collide when gravitational waves carry enough energy away from the system to destabilize the orbit. When this happens, a type of gamma-ray burst can occur — these are the most powerful explosions in the universe.
The intense energy would be enough to create gold and other heavy elements, according to a paper published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. Gold is a highly efficient conductor which can carry tiny currents and remain corrosion-free. It is used in connectors, switch and relay contacts, soldered joints, connecting wires and connection strips.
Gold is primarily used in dentistry because of its superior performance and aesthetic appeal — after all, a rusty iron smile might not look too hot. Gold alloys are also used for fillings, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances because the precious metal is non-allergenic and easy to work with. To infinity and beyond: Gold truly is a metal of the future — look no further than its use in aerospace. Chemistry Expert.
Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Scientists believe all the gold on Earth formed in supernovae and neutron star collisions that occurred before the solar system formed.
In these events, gold formed during the r-process. Gold sank to the Earth's core during the planet's formation. It's only accessible today because of asteroid bombardment. Theoretically, it's possible to form gold by the nuclear processes of fusion, fission, and radioactive decay. It's easiest for scientists to transmute gold by bombarding the heavier element mercury and producing gold via decay.
Gold cannot be produced via chemistry or alchemy. Chemical reactions cannot change the number of protons within an atom. The proton number or atomic number defines an element's identity. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph. Origins and Process. How Is Gold Formed?
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