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Can gold be used as nuclear fuel?
Gold was synthesized from mercury by neutron bombardment in 1941, but the isotopes of gold produced were all radioactive. In 1924, a Japanese physicist, Hantaro Nagaoka, accomplished the same feat. Gold can currently be manufactured in a nuclear reactor by the irradiation of either platinum or mercury.
Can gold be create in a nuclear fusion?
Gold is the chemical element with 79 protons in each atomic nucleus. Every atom containing 79 protons is a gold atom, and all gold atoms behave the same chemically. Adding or removing protons from a nucleus are types of nuclear reactions. As such, no series of chemical reactions can ever create gold.
What is the main problem with nuclear fuel?
Nuclear energy produces radioactive waste A major environmental concern related to nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. These materials can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years.
Does gold retain radiation?
The polymer is 11 percent gold by weight, and the gold atoms in the substance efficiently scatter or absorb most forms of radiation, including X-rays. Chemically incorporated into a polymer, gold is less poisonous than other heavy metals that also block radiation.
Who named gold?
Gold gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon word “geolo” for yellow. The symbol Au comes from the Latin word for gold, “aurum.”
Is it possible to make gold in a nuclear reactor?
It is fairly easy to do in a nuclear reactor. Nuclear reactors produce a prodigious number of free neutrons. Load a bunch of platinum into a nuclear reactor and a small fraction of them would become radioactive and beta minus decay into gold.There are a few problems:1. Running the reactor is very expensive. 2.
How do you make non-radioactive gold?
Therefore, in order to create non-radioactive gold that you can sell to consumers you have to: Build a nuclear reactor to act as your source of neutrons. Place mercury in the reactor. After a large amount of work, only a tiny portion of gold is created.
Is it possible to make gold from other elements?
Yes, gold can be created from other elements. But the process requires nuclear reactions, and is so expensive that you currently cannot make money Answers provided by Dr. Christopher S. Baird Recent Questions Biology Chemistry Earth Science Health Physics Society Space Can gold be created from other elements?
Is it possible to make gold by adding or removing protons?
Or even better, we can remove one proton from mercury (which has 80) or add one proton to platinum (which has 78) in order to make gold. The process is simple in principle but hard to do in practice. Adding or removing protons from a nucleus are types of nuclear reactions. As such, no series of chemical reactions can ever create gold.