![Gold element card: symbol Au, atomic number 79, atomic mass 196.97, electron configuration [Xe] 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ 6s¹, oxidation states +3, Transition metal, group 11, period 6, solid at room temperature.](https://stage.chemistry-dictionary.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/gold-chemical-element.webp)
Gold sits in group 11 and the sixth period of the periodic table. In nature, it mostly occurs in its pure elemental form as nuggets or grains in rocks. Gold is a noble metal, meaning it does not react with oxygen and never rusts.
Most individual acids cannot damage gold, but a strong acid mixture called aqua regia dissolves it easily. Students often think gold is completely unreactive, but it easily forms chemical complexes with cyanide. Gold also has incredible malleability and ductility, which let people shape it with ease.
Malleability means it can be beaten into extremely thin sheets without cracking or breaking. Ductility is the ability of a metal to stretch into a long wire. For instance, a single gram of gold can stretch for over two kilometers.
The most stable oxidation states of gold in chemical compounds are plus 1 and plus 3. These states help form the gold complexes used in high-quality electroplating. Gold is also famous for its yellow color, which is unique among metals.
This yellow color happens because relativistic effects change how inner electrons orbit the heavy nucleus. The fast electrons alter the energy levels, making the metal absorb blue light and reflect yellow light.