Gold, the 79th element on the Periodic Table of the Elements, is one of the more recognizable of the bunch. It is malleable and shiny, making it a good metalworking material.

The periodic table lists 118 different chemical elements. And yet, for thousands of years, humans have really, really liked one of them in particular: gold. A chemist explains.

According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, there are 94 metals. Of them all, gold is perhaps the most well-known. It can be found on the periodic table with the symbol “Au.” ...

Mankind's attitude to gold is bizarre. Chemically, it is uninteresting - it barely reacts with any other element. Yet, of all the 118 elements in the periodic table, gold is the one we humans have ...

Every element in the periodic table gives off a certain amount of visible light. It’s this light that makes it easy to tell gold (Au) and silver (Ag) apart.