I have got a curiosity whether mercury can melt gold. Can any one confirm my doubt?
2007-12-28 20:03:55 · 5 answers · asked by Madasamy 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
Most metals are soluble in mercury. This list includes gold. Gold can be adsorbed into liquid mercury. This results in a gold/mercury solution. So, in a sense mercury does "melt" gold. (just like water melts sugar.) The process of mercury mixing with gold is called gold "amalgamation" and the solution is called an "amalgam".
2007-12-29 10:41:52 · answer #1 · answered by Metallic stuff 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I suppose that it really depends upon what you mean by 'melt'.
Certainly mercury can form an amalgam with gold. I can confirm this by the experience of a friend who, whilst working in a laboratory, managed to splash his expensive gold wrist watch with mercury. It ruined the watch!
2007-12-29 02:11:44 · answer #2 · answered by clausiusminkowski 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How do you plan to melt the gold with the mercury? Both are elements and have independent properties. I don't see how the mercury is going to "do" anything.
2007-12-28 20:13:54 · answer #3 · answered by Expat 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
No .it is not possible but mercury makes an alloy with gold. this allows the extraction of golds but is aver dangerous method
2007-12-28 21:08:42 · answer #4 · answered by maussy 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I DON'T KNOW
2007-12-29 00:13:25 · answer #5 · answered by Natasha 2 · 0⤊ 4⤋