Gold is a shiny yellow metal with the chemical symbol Au, which comes from the Latin word aurum, meaning “shining dawn.” On the periodic table, it has the atomic number 79, which means each gold atom has 79 protons in its nucleus. It belongs to a group of metals called transition metals, and it is found in Group 11, along with silver (Ag) and copper (Cu), all of which are good conductors of electricity and have a metallic shine. Gold is in Period 6, meaning it has six energy levels, or shells, of electrons around its nucleus.

Gold is very soft and easy to shape, which is why it’s called malleable and ductile. One gram of gold can be pressed into a thin sheet large enough to cover an entire notebook page, or stretched into a wire much thinner than a human hair. It’s also very dense and heavy, and has a high melting point of about 1064°C. One of the reasons gold is so useful is that it does not rust, corrode, or tarnish—it stays shiny even after many years. It doesn’t react with air or water, and only a special acid mixture called aqua regia can dissolve it.

Gold is rare and valuable, which is why people have used it for thousands of years to make jewelry, coins, and decorations. Today, gold is also used in electronics, because it conducts electricity very well and doesn’t wear out easily. It’s also used in medicine—tiny gold particles called nanoparticles can help doctors find and treat diseases like cancer. Even in space technology, gold is used to protect satellites and spacecraft from heat and sunlight by reflecting harmful rays.

Gold is not just found on Earth—it was actually formed in space, during supernova explosions and neutron star collisions. That means the gold we use today is older than Earth itself. Gold is found in the Earth’s crust, often mixed with rock, and sometimes as nuggets in riverbeds. Because it’s so unreactive, it can be found in pure form in nature, unlike many other metals that are trapped in chemical compounds.

To help you remember gold on the periodic table, think of its symbol Au, which is different from its English name because it comes from Latin. Remember that it’s in Group 11 with copper and silver, is a heavy metal in Period 6, and has the atomic number 79. Its special properties—softness, shine, and the fact that it doesn’t rust—make it easy to recognize both in the real world and on the periodic table.