Hunting the Elements Part 1

What was David Pogue's quest?

• To understand the basic building blocks of everyday matter

• To collect a sample of every available element

• To see a gold mine for the first time

According to David, how are the 118 unique substances arranged?

• By atomic mass

• In stacks, in a vault

• On an amazing chart

According to David, what was one of humanity's first elemental loves?

• Hydrogen

• Gold

• Uranium

How are neutrons different from protons and electrons?

• Positive charge

• Negative charge

• No charge

All of the gold ever mined would...

• entirely fill the Great Pyramid

• collapse under its own weight

• fit into a single cube, about 60' on a side

Why is gold unique among the metals?

• It doesn't rust or tarnish

• It is not very common

• It is very reactive

The gold in the Cortez Mine is...

• found as big nuggets

• mixed with quartz & silver

• microscopic

What 500-year-old process did Gayle Fitzwater and her team perform using a furnace?

• A fire assay

• The lost wax method

• A sand cast

According to Gayle, about how much gold is found in 1 ton of rock?

• 1/2 mg

• 1 oz.

• 1 kg

As a group, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, osmium, and iridium are...

• the "noble metals"

• the metals of civilization

• very reactive