Solid gold
Gold does not combine with other elements readily and is primarily found in elemental form or alloyed with other metals. It is one of the most valuable metals in the world and is worth mining even when the concentrations are low. Consequently, many methods have been developed for mining gold. The following steps will outline some of the more well-known methods.
Instructions
1. Pan for gold using a wide shallow pan. Fill the pan with gold ore and water. Shake the pan and the heavier materials (like gold) will settle to the bottom first. This method is only used by tourists or to assay deposits for commercial mining.
2. Sluice for gold with a sluice box. This is a long box with riffles in the bottom through which water and gold ore are run. Heavy materials will settle in the riffles. This method is still used today in small-scale mining.
3. Use hard rock mining when the gold is encased in rock instead of being in loose sediment. This can be done in an open pit or underground. Most of the gold in the world is mined with these methods.
4. Extract the gold with cyanide. If the ore contains small particles of gold, grind the ore into a powder and add cyanide. The gold cyanide solution can then be separated from the rock. Add zinc to the solution to precipitate out the heavy metals. Add sulfuric acid to remove the zinc. The resulting gold sludge can then be smelted and refined to a high purity.
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