Panning for gold as a geological science experiment.
Gold is one of the most valuable metals found in the natural environment. With a rich history in the United States and other areas of the world, gold is a common subject for study in school. To further allow students to experience the properties and history of gold, there are several experiments that can be performed.
Panning for Gold
For a gold experiment appropriate for both younger and older students, gold panning can help teach important geological lessons. With a riffled pan, sand, fools gold nuggets and real gold nuggets, students can learn about the history of the western United States during the time of the Gold Rush, which occurred toward the end of the 19th century and early on in the 20th century. Students also learn lessons on the density of minerals and metals. This is because the unique 19.282 grams per cubic centimeter density of gold is what allows the gold to separate from the sand and other substances with a different density like sand, rocks and silt.
Gold Melting
Gold melting is an experiment that can help students learn the melting points of metals. Gold leaf or small gold nuggets can be melted down along with other metals to determine different melting points. Not only can this teach melting points in chemistry, but it can also help teach the difference between physical changes and chemical changes in substances.
Gold Pennies
This experiment can be used to teach the history and science of alchemy, as well as the difference between real and fake gold. In this experiment, students can learn how easy it is to turn copper coated pennies into gold, or at least make it look like gold. Alchemists often were able to turn substances to look like gold using chemical means. In this experiment, zinc and sodium hydroxide are combined to sodium zincate solution. The copper coated penny is dropped into the solution, causing the zinc to adhere to the copper on the penny, creating a penny that looks like silver. When the penny is heated up, the zinc further transforms by changing colors to one that mimics gold, although it is not real gold.
Rutherford Experiment
The Rutherford experiment uses a thin foil made of gold to demonstrate the diffraction of alpha particles. By observing how some particles head straight through the gold foil and others are deflected, students can learn how atoms are largely comprised of empty space, with most of the mass at the center nucleus of the atom.
Tags: students learn, gold nuggets, melting points, copper coated, difference between, help teach, like gold
