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Gold has held an allure for thousands of years. This precious metal is a symbol of elegance and wealth. Scientists have discovered how it stays in such perfect condition and never loses its shine. Researchers in New Orleans found that gold does not rust or change colour because of the structure of atoms on its surface. A researcher said the atoms naturally rearrange themselves into unique zigzag patterns. This minimizes reactions with oxygen. As a result, the metal does not become discoloured, even after centuries of exposure to the elements.
A low level of reactivity to oxygen is called chemical nobility. Gold is the most noble metal. It is also one of the softest metals, which means it can easily be hammered into thin sheets. Gold can be beaten to a thickness of less than 0.1 micrometres. This is one hundred times thinner than a human hair. Its purity is why we have used gold for jewellery and currency for more than 5,000 years. It is also used in electronics, dentistry, spacecraft technology, and medicine. The researchers believe gold will continue to be a key part of many industrial applications.
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