Where does all the gold in the world come from? Science answers!

The Aztecs believed that gold came to Earth after it fell from the Sun, as this precious metal was the ‘sweat of our parent star’. Of course, this is just an ancient Aztec legend. But at the heart of this story, they were partly right; gold is not sweat and does not come from the Sun, but it is not from the Earth either. Modern scientists suggest that the metal actually came from space and reached our planet via meteorites.

And not only gold but also other heavy elements were formed in the ‘hearts of the stars’. such as platinum and uranium and later reached our planet. Many of these elements were created by the process of nuclear fusion in stars, fusing together under very high temperatures and pressure.

According to a study conducted at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, scientists analyzed samples of some of the oldest rocks on Earth. They discovered that most of the precious metals that existed on Earth, including gold, arrived via meteorites 200 million years after the planet’s formation.

“Extracting tungsten from rock samples and analyzing its isotopic composition with the necessary precision was extremely challenging due to the small amount of tungsten found in rocks. Our work reveals that many of the precious metals on which our economies and many processes depend are important industrial, We reached our planet by a happy coincidence when approximately 20 billion tons of asteroid material hit the Earth.” said Dr. Matthias Willbold, one of the study’s authors.

TecMundo has gathered information from scientists and experts in the field to tell you a little more about the origin of gold on Earth. Check out!

Where does the world’s gold come from?

According to some scientists, as the Earth was forming millions of years ago, precious metals arrived in meteorites and ‘sank’ into the center of the planet; this would help form its core.

Gold and platinum are also part of the formation of the core, and some scientists claim that there are so many precious metals in the core that If we eliminate them, it would be possible to cover the entire Earth with a four-meter layer of these elements.

But we will start the story of gold a little before all this. A few million years after the Big Bang, the first stars began burning their own internal fuel and fusing heavier elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen until they reached iron. When there was nothing left to burn in their cores, these stars exploded as supernovae, releasing enormous amounts of energy into the universe.

From here, some of the outer layers of these stars were sent to distant parts of the universe, where they began to expand and cool, until they formed clouds of gas and dust and turned into nebulae. Some heavy elements, such as gold, evolved within these very nebulae through the process of neutron capture.

When the gas and dust cloud begins to cool, the neutrons in it combine to form heavier elements. This process may occur several times, thus resulting in the formation of gold and other heavy metals. According to some scientists It is estimated that approximately 50 billion tons of gold were formed in the universe as a result of this natural process.

Some interesting facts about gold:

• Gold does not rust or wear out easily;
• Gold is extremely malleable; For example, many companies produce gold leaf;
• Gold is edible and is often used in high-cost foods and beverages;
• Although there are tons of gold on Earth, mining is not that easy and it will not be possible to collect the part in the core of the planet;
• Gold is already used as currency in many countries.

Gold came to Earth via meteors containing this and other types of metal that are responsible for forming the celestial body we call home. Researchers estimate that there are approximately 30 grams for every 150 billion tonnes on Earth. According to the weight of the planet, there are approximately 197 thousand tons of gold.

Another theory suggests that gold was formed after the collision of two neutron stars. The energy released from a gamma ray burst would be enough to form gold and other heavy elements.

Gold is considered the most sought-after metal on Earth as it is a safe asset. For this reason, many countries have gold reserves; It is not surprising that precious metal played an important role in the past and was widely used as a form of exchange. Besides its currently significant value, Gold is used for different applications in different industries such as dentistry, electronics and other industries.

Did you like the content? Stay up to date with more curiosity about quantum mechanics at TecMundo. If you wish, explore planets showered with rubies, sapphires and diamonds.