Written by: Daniel Gleich
Precious metals are not just shiny and pretty; they're also really useful and interesting to study. Metals that fall into this category, like gold, silver, and platinum, are precious because they're a lot rarer than other kinds of metals, like iron or aluminum. That makes them really valuable. Because these metals are so valuable, they've been used as money for thousands of years. They're also used to make jewelry. But scientists have found that precious metals also have chemical and physical properties that make them useful for lots of different things, from electronic circuits to medical devices.
Lots of different types of scientists study and work with precious metals. Chemists study their chemical properties, like how they resist corrosion and oxidation, and examine how they react with other elements to create new materials. Physicists look at how precious metals conduct electricity and heat, which helps people to make things like computers and phones. Geologists study where these metals come from and how they form deep underground. And medical researchers study precious metals, too, as they can be used in hospital equipment and even in some medical treatments.
Precious metals are found on the periodic table, a diagram of all of the chemical elements that's organized to help people understand the properties of the elements and how they relate to each other. Each box on the periodic table stands for one element, containing the element's symbol, its atomic number, and its atomic mass. The periodic table divides the elements into three categories: metals, nonmetals, and metalloids (which are in between, with some of the properties of metals and nonmetals). Understanding the periodic table helps scientists predict how precious metals might react with other elements during chemical reactions, which can help them to create new products to solve problems.
Precious metals are also related to other types of scientific work. For instance, in environmental science, researchers look for ways to use precious metals to clean up our planet and more environmentally friendly ways to get these metals out of the ground. Geologists study how these metals are formed and discovered and help miners figure out where to invest their time and effort. And mineralogists identify and analyze different ores to determine the concentration and purity of precious metals.