Can gold be artifically created?

Like diamonds, is it possible for gold to be artifically created in a lab?

 

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i'm sure there is a crazy scientist making it some where

 

I don't think its possible, but people have been trying to turn lead into gold for years in the early 19th century. I know that's obviously not possible, but is there such a thing as gold not from mother earth, man made?

 

My reaction to the OP.

 

Yes it can, but at a cost beyond belief.

 

Interesting, what process is involved?
:thumb:

 

And how do they do it?

 

In an atom smasher atom by atom. Combine yttrium and zirconium, niobium and strontium, etc.

 

They've been tryin' to figure that out since the beginning of recorded time.....

 

If you go to a bar, sit there for a while drinking Martini's, pull out almost any coin it might change into Gold. Or it may turn into a mouse, apple, stapler, screwdriver, etc. All depends on whether your use 90 proof or 100 proof.
Changing any element into others is being done all the time. In fact all elements after 92 are man made as it is. Which is why auto bumpers are not made of Element Number 103. Gold could be easily made today, at Fermi for example, but the cost would be inadaquate for the accomplishment. Many elements are made as experiments but only very small amounts and at a provocative expense.
Diamonds are being made easily today but those are not making a new element, they are just changing an existing elements state of appearances. Crystalizing Carbon is not quite the same as adding Protons and Newtrons to a Nucleus. By pressure and heat, Carbon is Crystalized into what is called diamonds.

 

That makes sense, because isn't a diamond before it's turned into a diamond an isotope of graphite?

So that just means its changing from one state to another, right? Not into another element.

I remember watching on mythbusters people trying to turn carbon into diamonds from a huge explosion, apparently they were able to do it but the diamonds were so small and encased in rock, they didn't look like diamonds at all.

 

Sure! Just ask your freindly neighborhood alchemist.

 

Isn't there a known law of science that matter can not be created or destroyed? I should've known better :headbang:

 

Not an isotope, just a different arrangement of the carbon atoms. Coal, graphite and diamond are different crystalline forms of carbon.

Isotopes are something complete different...just correcting your terminology. Isotopes have the same number of protons and a different number of neutrons.

 

Well naturally all elements go through radioactive decay including beta, alpha, and gama so it is possible for another element to eventually decay into Au though it is not actually the element just appears to be, but I believe the half life is over 1000 years old for this to occur...(I may be a bit off haven't taken AP chem yet, just honors this year)

 

I don't see how that is relevant, an isotope is the same number of protons just different number of neutrons, what classifies the element according to the periodic table is the number of protons for example C-14 used for dating is an isotope of carbon-12 however when it decays it looses/gains a proton changing the element that it is (at least I think lol)

 

Wrong!

Radiloactive elements go through radioactive decay. Non-radioactive elements do not go through radioactive decay.

Edit

And I don't know of any radioactive element that decays into gold. None.

Uranium-238 decays into radon and eventually lead but it does not decay into any precious metals. It's decay chain is:

Uranium-238 -> Thorium-234 -> Protactinium-234 -> Uranium-234 -> Thorium-230 -> Radium-226 -> Radon-222 (which is what comes into your house) -> Polonium-218 -> Lead-214 -> Bismuth-214 -> Polonium-214 -> Lead-210 -> Bismuth-210 -> Polonium-210 -> Lead-206

Nope. No precious metals along that decay chain.

And what if gold or silver were radioactive? That would make jewelry, fillings, etc. dangerous. And that gold or silver coin or bullion you have stored would be decaying away over time. That means your coins and bullion bars would be getting lighter and lighter. Not good for the old investment. And it would make authenticating gold and silver coins impossible because even genuine coins would get lighter over time.

Sorry, but gold and silver are stable elements.

 

My bad forgot to say all elements over 24 are considered radioactive over 84 highly radioactive, line of stability...still technically all elements are considered radioactive just have an incredibly LONG half life, you can check a periodic table if you want

 

I assume 24 is the atomic number not the atomic weight. Still, that makes iron, silver, gold, platinum, zinc, copper and all coin metals radioactive. That is interesting. We all need to quit touching our coins, let alone collecting them because they are killing us with radioactivity. Good one.

 

Check my edit to my post above.

Gold and silver jewelry and gold fillings would also be hazardous.