EOSC 118 Lecture Notes - Lecture 24: Gold, Alchemical Symbol, Noble Metal
Document Summary
Gold is a beautiful, valuable, and important mineral that has been used in art, religion, various industries, romantic gestures, currency, dentistry, medicine, and so much more. It is a highly versatile mineral due to the inertness and malleability which allows it to b recycled. The value and status of gold will ensure that it remains in circulation throughout time. Gold comes from the word geolo which means yellow. Its chemical symbol is au (comes from the word aurum which means shining dawn which is an allusion to the sun). Its alchemical symbol is a circle with a dot in the centre. Gold was used a commodity much like it is now. In 344 bc, alexander the great crossed the hellespont with 40,000 men, and included in the spoils of war were vast quantities of gold from the persian. It wouldn"t be the last time that gold would be at the centre of bloody international conflicts.
