What is gold made out of?

What is Gold Made of?

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and atomic number 79. Like other elements, gold is made up of atoms that all have 79 protons in their nuclei. Some key facts:

• Gold atoms contain 79 protons and 118 neutrons, giving them an atomic mass of roughly 197 amu.
• The 79 electrons orbit the nucleus in specific electron orbital shells with distinct energy levels.
• The outer shell contains only one electron, leading to gold’s chemical properties.
• Pure gold contains only gold atoms, typically packed in a face-centered cubic crystal lattice.
• Alloys are combinations of gold atoms with other metals like silver, copper, nickel, palladium, etc.

So in pure form, gold is simply a metal made up of gold atoms. It’s actually an element, not a compound. The properties of gold arise from the unique configuration of its atomic structure and bonding behavior. While gold can be alloyed with other metals, pure 100% gold consists only of gold atoms.