Is it possible to turn metals into gold

Gold is the chemical element with 79 protons in each atomic nucleus. Every atom containing 79 protons is a gold atom, and all gold atoms behave the same chemically. In principle, we can therefore create gold by simply assembling 79 protons and enough neutrons to make the nucleus stable.

Or even better, we can remove one proton from mercury which has 80 or add one proton to platinum which has 78 in order to make gold. The process is simple in principle but hard to do in practice. Adding or removing protons from a nucleus are types of nuclear reactions.

As such, no series of chemical reactions can ever create gold. Chemical reactions change the number and shape of the electrons in an atom but leave the nucleus of the atom unchanged. The ancient alchemist dream of creating gold by simply reacting chemicals is therefore impossible.

You have to use nuclear reactions to create gold. The difficulty is that nuclear reactions require a lot of energy. While gold can be created by artificial transmutation, precious metal owners have no need to fear. The price of precious metals has not and will not be affected by alchemy in the foreseeable future. Science still has a long way to go. Any views expressed are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Peter Schiff or SchiffGold. Please check back for new articles and updates at Commoditytrademantra.

Where did this woman get the idea of turning lead into gold? Can base metals such as lead actually be transmuted into gold? Surprisingly the answer is yes. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Share Flipboard Email. Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. Chemistry Expert. Helmenstine holds a Ph. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels. Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter. Updated September 22,