Quick answerGold (Au) is a transition metal with atomic number 79 and an atomic mass of 196.97 (2023), in group 11, period 6. It has been known since ancient times. It is used for jewellery and central bank reserves and bullion. Its electron configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1.
Gold has been treasured for at least 6,000 years: it never tarnishes, never rusts, and can be hammered thinner than paper. Central banks still hoard it as a store of value, jewellers shape it into rings, and engineers rely on it for the tiny, corrosion-proof contacts inside phones and spacecraft. A single ounce can be stretched into a wire 80 kilometres long.
Key facts
| Symbol | Au |
|---|---|
| Atomic number | 79 |
| Atomic mass | 196.97 (IUPAC standard atomic weight, 2023) |
| Category | transition metal |
| Group | 11 |
| Period | 6 |
| Block | d-block |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1 |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
| Uses | jewellery, central bank reserves and bullion, electronics contacts, dentistry, spacecraft shielding |
Overview
Gold has been treasured for at least 6,000 years: it never tarnishes, never rusts, and can be hammered thinner than paper. It has atomic number 79, an atomic mass of 196.97, and the electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1, and it sits in group 11, period 6 of the periodic table. It has been known since ancient times, found as nuggets and dust in rivers, and no single discoverer is credited with it. Gold is the most malleable and ductile of metals: a single ounce can be stretched into a wire 80 kilometres long, or beaten into a sheet thin enough to see through. Central banks still hoard it as a store of value, and investors buy it as bullion in troubled times, because it keeps its worth when paper money fails. Jewellers shape it into rings and necklaces, dentists use it for crowns, and engineers rely on it for the tiny, corrosion-proof contacts inside phones, computers and spacecraft. Gold is mined mainly in China, Australia, Russia and South Africa, and nearly all the gold ever mined is still in use, because it is never consumed, only reshaped.
Frequently asked questions
What is gold used for?
Gold is used in jewellery, in central bank reserves and bullion as a store of value, and in electronics, where its corrosion-proof contacts sit inside phones, computers and spacecraft. Dentists use it for crowns, and it shields spacecraft from heat and radiation. Nearly all the gold ever mined is still in use today.
What is the symbol for gold?
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, from its Latin name aurum, meaning glow of sunrise, rather than from the English word gold. It has atomic number 79 and a standard atomic mass of 196.97, and it sits in group 11 and period 6. Gold has been known since ancient times, so no single person discovered it.
What is the atomic number of gold?
Gold has atomic number 79, so it is the seventy-ninth element in the periodic table. Its atom holds seventy-nine protons and seventy-nine electrons, and its standard atomic mass is 196.97. It is a transition metal in group 11 and period 6, with the electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1, and it never tarnishes.
Is gold a metal?
Yes, gold is a metal, a transition metal in group 11 of the periodic table, alongside copper and silver. It is bright yellow, soft and highly malleable, and it is the most ductile of all metals. It never tarnishes or rusts, which is why it has been treasured for at least 6,000 years and still backs central bank reserves.
Why is gold so valuable?
Gold is valuable because it is rare, beautiful and never tarnishes, and because it has been trusted as money for thousands of years. Central banks hold it as a store of value, and investors buy it when paper money looks uncertain. It is also useful in electronics and dentistry, but most of its value comes from trust and scarcity.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Periodic table — all 118 elements
- Hafnium (Hf) — another transition metal, atomic number 72
- Tantalum (Ta) — another transition metal, atomic number 73
- Tungsten (W) — another transition metal, atomic number 74
- Rhenium (Re) — another transition metal, atomic number 75
- Osmium (Os) — another transition metal, atomic number 76
- Iridium (Ir) — another transition metal, atomic number 77
- Platinum (Pt) — another transition metal, atomic number 78
- Mercury (Hg) — another transition metal, atomic number 80
- Rutherfordium (Rf) — another transition metal, atomic number 104
- Dubnium (Db) — another transition metal, atomic number 105
- All transition metal elements — on the periodic table
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.