Gold
A dense, lustrous, unreactive metal long prized as money.
Inside the Gold atom
Switch between Bohr and Quantum Cloud modes to compare a simple teaching model with a more realistic probability-based view, and follow the guided tour to explore the Gold atom step by step.
Electron configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1
A neutral Gold atom has 79 electrons (equal to its proton count). Choosing a different isotope above changes only the neutron count.
Shell distribution
Electrons fill inner shells before outer ones; the outermost (valence) shell drives the element's chemistry.
Physical & atomic properties
- State (room temp)
- Solid
- Melting point
- 1337 K (1064 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3129 K (2856 °C)
- Density
- 19.282 g/cm³
- Electronegativity
- 2.54 Pauling
- Atomic radius
- 135 pm
- 1st ionization energy
- 890 kJ/mol
- Category
- Transition metals
Discovery & naming
- Discovered
- Antiquity
- Discovered by
- Known since antiquity
- Origin of name
- Anglo-Saxon 'gold'; symbol from Latin 'aurum'.
Notable uses
Jewellery, electronics, and a monetary store of value.
Where Gold comes from
Neutron star mergers
Neutron star mergers are a major source of gold. Rare supernova environments may also contribute.
Simplified origin map — many elements form through more than one astrophysical pathway.
Summary
- Atomic number
- 79
- Atomic mass
- 196.97
- Category
- Transition metals
- Group · Period
- 11 · 6
- Block
- d-block
- Shells
- 2 · 8 · 18 · 32 · 18 · 1