Gold (symbol Au, atomic number 79) is the prototypical precious metal, unreactive, conductive, and endlessly malleable. It is classified as a transition metal and sits in group 11, period 6 of the periodic table.
Overview
Gold is the chemical element with atomic number 79 and the symbol Au. With a standard atomic weight of 196.97, it is a transition metal. In the periodic table it occupies group 11 and period 6, and under standard conditions it is normally a solid. Gold is the prototypical precious metal, unreactive, conductive, and endlessly malleable.
Atomic structure
An atom of Gold has 79 protons in its nucleus and, when neutral, 79 electrons arranged in the configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1. Its standard atomic weight of 196.97 reflects the natural mix of its stable isotopes.
Discovery and place in the table
Gold has been known since antiquity. It follows Platinum (Pt) and precedes Mercury (Hg) in order of atomic number.
| Atomic number | 79 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Au |
| Atomic mass | 196.97 |
| Category | Transition metal |
| Group | 11 |
| Period | 6 |
| Electron configuration | [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1 |
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Discovered | Antiquity |