Atomic number 79
Gold
Transition metal
Quick facts
- Atomic mass
- 196.97
- Group
- 11
- Period
- 6
- State (STP)
- solid
- Electronegativity
- 2.54
- Common ox. states
- +1, +3
Properties
Electron configuration
[Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹
- Ionization energy
- 890.1 kJ/mol
- Electron affinity
- 222.8 kJ/mol
- Melting point
- 1337.33 K (1064.2 °C)
- Boiling point
- 3129.00 K (2855.8 °C)
How it bonds
Gold has the same exceptional configuration as silver and copper: filled 5d¹⁰ 6s¹. Forms +1 (Au⁺ in [AuCl₂]⁻) and +3 (HAuCl₄). The least reactive metal at standard conditions — won't tarnish in air or react with water, which is why it sits in hoards for millennia.
Element Lore
Stories, history, and chemistry behind Gold.
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