(Sanskrit, Jval; Anglo-Saxon, gold; L. aurum, shining dawn) Known to the ancients. Found free in nature and with quartz, pyrite and other minerals. Two thirds of the world's supply comes from South Africa, and 2/3 of US production is from South Dakota and Nevada. Gold is found in sea water, but no effective process has been designed to extract it from this source. Gold is usually alloyed to give it more strength, and the term carat describes the amount of gold present (24 carats is pure gold).
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transition metal, yellow, metallic luster, the most malleable and ductile metal, soft, good thermal and electrical conductor, expensive, unaffected by air and most reagents
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jewelry, dentistry, decoration, coinage, plating, coating space satellites, infrared reflector, photography for toning silver images, isotope 198 is used for treating cancer and other diseases, compound used to treat arthritis