Fifty years before the famous San Francisco gold rush of 1849, a twelve-year-old boy discovered the metal in North Carolina. Since then, gold has been used in countless ways.
Watch this video to learn about this shiny object's history and applications. As you view the segment, pay special attention to the ways in which scientists classify gold. Then, answer the question under Take Notes, below.
You may read the transcript to the video, and watch it as many times as you like.
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In case you didn’t know it, the first American gold rush occurred in North Carolina. And it all began with a 12-year-old boy.
‘The first piece of gold was found by Conrad Reed in 1799, he was about 12 years old at time. He was bow and arrow fishing, hopefully trying to get some lunch. He shot for a fish and he missed, and when he went to go retrieve his arrow, he saw something large and shiny just sitting there in the creek.
You get the picture. A 12-year-old boy, a shiny object; the rest, as they say, is history. Of course, Gold is more than just a shiny object. In chemistry, it’s a type of matter: a pure substance that can be broken down into particles and atoms. It’s also an element on the periodic table.
And then there are its applications. Since landing on planet Earth as the result of a supernova (that’s an exploding star that sends tons of matter into space), gold has been used in countless ways. Throughout the millennia, it has served as currency; as religious, political, and decorative art; as jewelry (not to mention its hot & heavy romance with teeth).
Much of today’s technology contains gold; simply open up a circuit board, and there it is, outshining other elements and matter. And in North Carolina, scientists are using gold nano particles for chemical, biological, and medical purposes, including new sophisticated cancer treatments.
Bottom line: Sure, it glitters and blings. But when it comes to worldly purposes and possibilities, this element is golden.
In this introductory lesson, you’ll find out how scientists define and classify different types of matter. You will watch a short video about gold, which is a specific type of matter, and animated segments. After taking notes and online quizzes, you’ll have a chance to review and organize what you’ve learned. Then you will produce your own project in which you'll define all the categories of matter, and describe how they relate to one another. You can also design your own infograph, using the PBS Learning Media tool.
The segment states that gold is a type of matter. What are two additional scientific descriptions of gold mentioned? Note them here. (Click SAVE when you have finished. To see your saved or submitted work again, click MY WORK at the top of the page.)