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What family does the element gold belong to?

Gold is a noble metal and falls into the transitional metal family on the periodic table in group number 11. The actual discoverer of gold is unknown as the metal has been in use by humans for over 5,000 years.

Gold is extremely dense, weighing in at 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter. It can be melted at temperatures of 1,337.58 degrees Kelvin and it boils at 3,080 degrees Kelvin.

The elemental symbol of gold is Au, a throwback to its Latin name, Aurum. Gold's atomic number is 79. It's atomic weight is 196.96654 and it is believed to have origins in the nuclear reactions of stars. The gold created by these reactions was a kind of cosmic dust that accumulated as the planets of our solar system formed thus creating the gold deposits found on earth.

The words for gold in both Anglo-Saxon and Latin are references to its deep yellow color. The Anglo-Saxon word, geolo, which later transformed into the modern word, gold, literally means yellow. The Latin word for gold, Aurum, is translated to mean shining dawn. In modern language, gold has entered the vernacular with phrases such as golden brown, golden hair, gold standard and other similar entries.

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