GoldMichelle Yeager & Alyson Mcmurtrie

Uses of Gold

• Most useful type of metal• Has many different uses in the United States

including:– Jewelry– Electronics– Computers– Financial– Dentistry– Medical– Aerospace and many more!

Primary Use of Gold: Jewelry

• Used to make jewelry for thousands of years • Today, most of gold that is newly mined or

recycled is used to make jewelry• Some special properties of gold that make it

helpful for manufacturing jewelry are: – very high luster– desirable yellow color– tarnish resistance– hammered into sheets or cast into shapes

Computers

• The rapid transmission of digital information through the computer requires an efficient and reliable conductor– Gold meets these requirements and is better than

any other metal– The gold in these components is:• generally electroplated onto other

metals • alloyed with small amounts of nickel

or cobalt to increase durability

Electronics

• Most important industrial use of gold is in in the manufacture of electronics

• Gold is a highly efficient and reliable conductor that can carry tiny currents and remain free of corrosion

• Gold is in:– cell phones, calculators, personal digital assistants,

global positioning system units, and other small electronic devices, and even larger items like television sets

Financial Uses• Used as an exchange for money• Has a long term value because it’s rare, useful, and

desirable• Works well because it has a high value, is durable,

and portable• The United States once used a "gold standard" and

maintained a stockpile of gold to back every dollar up in circulation– Any person could present paper

currency to the government and demand in exchange an equal value of gold

Dentistry

• Known to have been used in dentistry as early as 700 B.C.

• Gold is used because of it’s great performance and beautiful appeal

- Gold is used for fillings, crowns, and orthodontic appliances - Is used in dentistry because it’s non allergenic and can be easy for the dentist to work with

Medical• Used as a drug to treat a small

number of medical conditions• Particles of a radioactive gold

isotopes are implanted in tissues to serve as a radiation source in the treatment of certain cancers

• Many surgical instruments, electronic equipment and life-support devices are made using small amounts of gold

Aerospace

• Used in hundreds of ways in every space vehicle that NASA launches

• Very dependable and reliable• Used in electrical systems and many parts of

every space vehicle are fitted with gold-coated polyester films– This film reflects infrared

radiation and helps stabilize the temperature of the spacecraft

Environmental Consequences

• Biggest environmental concern is toxic mine drainage– When rocks that have been buried for a long time, are dug up,

air and moisture can set off chemical reactions that produce acids

– If substances like sulfuric acid, arsenic, or copper, run off into lakes, rivers, and streams, they could cause serious risks for populations of fish and other organisms

• Cyanide solution– is a poison to people, animals, and fish– is used when cleaning gold

• Open-pit mines – produce a lot of dust, which is harmful to

the people living near it

Cultural Consequences

• Indigenous people, farmers, and other local communities are trying to speak out to protect their lives and communities from the impacts of potentially harmful mining operations – Public health is at danger• Water and air pollution

– No traditional way of living • Large open-pit mines can cause people to have to move

and they might not have enough money to go anywhere else

What is the Industry Doing?

• Bills have been filed that would prohibit surface mining in the Sewanee coal seam, which is the most toxic coal seam east of the Mississippi

• The industry continues to search for cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to cyanide

• Local communities around the world that are being affected by this are demanding that mining projects only go forward with their approval

What Students Think

• Gold mining should be done in an eco friendly environment• Should be done where there are no people around

• The government should control how much gold is allowed to be mined at one time

Works Cited• "Early Gold Mining Methods." Early Gold Mining Methods. Web. 26

Sept. 2012. <http://www.sierrafoothillmagazine.com/goldmethods.html>.

• "Gold Historical Background." Gold History. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://bullion.nwtmint.com/gold_history.php>.

• "The Many Uses of Gold." Uses of Gold in Industry, Medicine, Computers, Electronics, Jewelry. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://geology.com/minerals/gold/uses-of-gold.shtml>.

• "Mining Distributors." Is Gold Mining Bad for the Environment? Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.miningdistributors.com/knowledgebase/gold-mining-bad-for-the-environment.php>.

• "No Dirty Gold." No Dirty Gold. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. <http://www.nodirtygold.org/poisoned_waters.cfm>.