What Is The Density of Gold? | GovMint.com (2024)

Before discussing gold's density, it is first essential to understand density in the context of chemistry. According to Merriam Webster's online dictionary, density in chemistry is "the mass of a substance per unit of volume." The scientific formula for density is mass/volume.

Gold's recorded density at room temperature is 19.32 g per cubic centimeter, which is roughly 19x the density of water. This difference in density between the yellow metal and the streams in which it can sometimes be found made the concept of panning possible. Using just a frying pan, anyone could gather gravel and sand by a riverbed and swirl it. The heaviest materials sink to the bottom as the gravel and sand wash out. The possibility of finding precious metals in something as simple as a stream is what made gold rushes attractive to so many looking to make their fortunes.

Relative to other metals, gold is among the densest. There are seventy metals on the periodic table, and just six are denser than gold. In terms of metals used for coins, only platinum is denser. Silver is a little more than half as dense as gold. The density of tungsten is almost identical to that of gold, which is why the metal has historically been used to forge gold products, as forgers would coat the metal with a thin layer of gold. Products suspected of being made of tungsten can be tested easily using a magnet, as tungsten is attracted to a magnet while gold is repelled by one.

The density of gold may even catch some novice collectors and others who are new to precious metals by surprise. Those who collect it tend to admire its heft. The metal is heavier than reinforced concrete, and those holding gold coins or bars for the first time are often impressed, as though they are feeling the weight of wealth.