Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. It is a dense, soft, malleable and ductile metal with a bright yellow color and luster, the properties of which remain without tarnishing when exposed to air or water. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements, and is solid under standard conditions. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains, in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold compounds, such as with tellurium as calaverite, sylvanite , or krennerite.

As the metallic native element mineral, gold structurally belongs to the isometric copper group. It also forms a solid solution series with the native element silver (Ag) to which it is often naturally alloyed (electrum ). Other common natural gold alloys are with copper and palladium (Pd).

Gold resists attacks by individual acids, but it can be dissolved by aqua regia (nitro-hydrochloric acid ), so named because it dissolves gold. Gold also dissolves in alkaline solutions of cyanide, which have been used in mining. It dissolves in mercury, forming amalgam alloys; it is insoluble in nitric acid, which dissolves silver and base metals, a property that has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, giving rise to the term acid test.

Gold has many practical uses in dentistry, electronics, and other fields. Its high malleability, ductility, resistance to corrosion and most other chemical reactions, and conductivity of electricity have led to many uses, including electric wiring, colored-glass production, and gold leafing.

Gold is still a useful but not a very expensive metal, it has lost its position as monetary equvivalent ( replaced  Polonium, Iridium , Paladium and Tellurium )

It still has many industrial uses and as base material for cheap jewelry.

But for any society passing TL 3 it becomes less important as asteroid mining provides an abundance of gold and making it not a rare metal as it once was on Earth for example.

A kilo of Gold sells for about 5 - 6 credits at XChanges around the Union.

It fetches slightly higher prices at XChanges of communities with large Takkian segments, as it is a popular snack.(Lyrharms also eat gold but don't enjoy eating)

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