When I first heard the question, “What happens if you burn gold?” I was immediately intrigued. I mean, who wouldn’t be curious about what happens when you subject such a precious metal to intense heat? So, being the adventurous soul that I am, I decided to embark on a little experiment to find out.
I gathered a few samples of gold, both real and fake, to see how they would react to the flame. I had a piece of pure gold, which I knew wouldn’t be affected by the heat, as well as some fool’s gold and various metal alloys that I suspected would behave differently.
I started with the pure gold. Holding it with a pair of tweezers, I cautiously brought it closer to the flame. At first, nothing happened. The gold retained its beautiful, shiny appearance. But as I held it there, I noticed something interesting. The gold started to get brighter. It was as if the heat was causing the gold to glow even more intensely. It was a mesmerizing sight to behold.
I continued to hold the gold in the flame for a while longer, just to see if anything else would happen. But to my surprise, the gold simply continued to get brighter. It didn’t darken or change color in any way. It was almost as if the gold was basking in the heat, reveling in its own beauty.
Next, I turned my attention to the fool’s gold, also known as pyrite. I had read that pyrite is often mistaken for gold due to its similar appearance, but it is actually an iron sulfide mineral. I was curious to see how it would react to the flame.
As I held the piece of pyrite in the flame, I immediately noticed a difference. Unlike the pure gold, the pyrite started to darken. It lost its golden luster and turned a dull, ashy color. It was quite a stark contrast to the vibrant glow of the real gold. It was clear that the pyrite was not as heat-resistant as its genuine counterpart.
I then moved on to the metal alloys, such as brass, iron, and copper. These materials are often used to make fake gold jewelry or decorative pieces. I wanted to see if they would undergo any noticeable changes when exposed to the flame.
As I subjected each alloy to the heat, I observed that they all reacted in a similar manner. They didn’t get brighter like the real gold, but instead, they tarnished and changed color. The brass turned a darker shade, almost resembling a dull bronze. The iron piece rusted and developed a reddish-brown patina, while the copper turned a greenish hue.
It was fascinating to witness these transformations. The difference in behavior between the real gold and the fake materials was striking. The pure gold remained unchanged, maintaining its radiant appearance, while the fool’s gold and metal alloys underwent noticeable alterations when exposed to the flame.
When you burn real, pure gold, it will not darken or change color. Instead, it will get brighter as it gets hotter. On the other hand, fake gold pieces, such as fool’s gold or items made of brass, iron, or copper alloys, will darken or change color when exposed to fire. This experiment not only provided me with a better understanding of the properties of gold, but it also served as a reminder of the value and uniqueness of this precious metal.