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Gold
Electron Configuration 2,8,18,32,18,1
Electron Configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d10 6s1
Ground state 2S1/2
Atomic Volume 10.2 g/cm3
Electronegativity 2.54
Magnetic ordering No data
Mass magnetic susceptibility -1.8 x 10-9
Molar magnetic susceptibility -3.55 x 10-10
Speed of sound 2030 m s-1
Thermal Properties
Enthalpy of Atomization 364 kJ mol-1 @25°C
Enthalpy of Fusion 12.7 kJ mol-1
Enthalpy of Vaporisation 343.1 kJ mol-1
Heat Capacity 25.418 J mol-1 K-1
Thermal Conductivity 318 W m-1 K-1
Thermal Expansion 14.2 μm m-1 K-1
Hardness
Brinell hardness 2450 MPa
Mohs hardness 2.5
Vickers hardness 216 MPa
Elastic Properties
Bulk modulus 220 GPa
Poisson ratio 0.44
Shear modulus 27 GPa
Young's modulus 78 GPa
Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity 2.2 x 10-8 Ω m
Electrical conductivity No data.
Chemical Properties
Electrochemical Equivalent 2.4496 g Ah-1
Electron Work Function 5.1 eV
Valence Electron Potential (-eV) 51
Ionization Potential  
First 9.225
Second 20.521
Energy Levels
Kα1 (intensity 100) 68.8037 KeV
Kα2 (intensity 50) 66.9895 KeV
Kβ1 (intensity 26.9) 77.984 KeV
Kβ2 (intensity 11.1) 78.0623 KeV
Kβ3 (intensity 10.3) 78.1222 KeV
Lα1 (intensity 100) 9.7133 KeV
Lα2 (intensity 10) 9.628 KeV
Lβ1 (intensity 35) 11.4423 KeV
Lβ2 (intensity 17) 11.5847 KeV
Lβ3 (intensity 6) 11.6078 KeV
Lβ4 (intensity 4) 11.2036 KeV
Lγ1 (intensity 5.5) 13.3817 KeV
Lγ2 (intensity 1.5) 13.7083 KeV
Lγ3 (intensity 2) 10.305 KeV
Ll (intensity 6) 8.4928 KeV
Atomic Radii
Empirical 135 pm
Bohr Radius 174 pm
Covalent Radius 144 pm
Van der Waals 166 pm
Triple covalent 123 pm
Metallic 144 pm
Ionic Radii (Å)
Charge Coordination Crystal Ionic Key
VI 1.51 1.37 A
IVSQ 0.82 0.68
VI 0.99 0.85 A
VI 0.71 0.57
R, From r3 vs V plots.
C, Calculated from bond length - bond strength equations.
E, Estimated.
*, Most Reliable.
M, From Metallic Oxides.
A, Ahrens (1952) Ionic radius.
P, Pauling's (1960) Crystal Radius.
Oxidation States
Main Au+3
Other Au-1, Au0, Au+1, Au+2, Au+5, Au+7
Ionisation Energies (kJ mol-1) show graph
M - M+ 890.1
M+ - M2+ 1980
M2+ - M3+ 2900
M3+ - M4+ 4200
M4+ - M5+ 5600
M5+ - M6+ 7000
M6+ - M7+ 9300
M7+ - M8+ 11000
M8+ - M9+ 12800
M9+ - M10+ 14800
Vapour Pressure
P (Pa) 1 10 100 1K 10K 100K
T (K) 1646 1814 2021 2281 2620 3078
Crystal Structure
Structure Cubic close packed
a = 407.82 pm
b = 407.82 pm
c = 407.82 pm
α = 90°
β = 90°
γ = 90°