From ancient times and throughout civilizations before us, gold Jewelry has always had an important role, not only as an ornamental and decorative element for the manufacture of coins and even for its industrial applications, but also as a social status symbol that has guided humanity through its different historical stages. to covet this precious metal. Also right now.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), established in 1879, about 244,000 metric tons of gold have been discovered so far57,000 of them are underground reserves. Is it possible to imagine where all this gold could be kept?
They already did at the USGS. All the gold ever found on our planet fits in an earring 23 meters on each side.. It may not seem like much, but it only takes a few simple actions to check it out.
First, it should be noted that the metric ton is an imperial unit of measurement, so a conversion formula must be used to convert it to cubic metres. that formula the number of metric tons divided by the density of the object, in this case about 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter of gold.
Thus it is obtained that The volume of all this gold is about 12,000 cubic meters, which is the volume of the cube (the result of multiplying 23 x 23 x 23).
The main countries from which the most gold is mined are China, Australia and South Africa.
“Most of the gold produced today is used for jewellery.but it is also an essential industrial metal that performs critical functions in computers, communications equipment, spacecraft, aircraft engines and other products.
Notably, on a balance from February of this year, the American Geological Survey provides an estimate of global gold consumption and what it’s used for. In the first place with 47%; gold bullion, 17%; central banks and other institutions, 20%; official and counterfeit coins and medals, 9%; electrical and electronic equipment reserves 6% and 1% for other unidentified uses.
In addition, the USGS highlights that: gold has “substitutes” that are widely used to bring this valuable material into the “economy”., both in jewelery and industrial applications. “Many of these products are constantly being redesigned to maintain high standards of use with a lower gold content. Overall, palladium, platinum and silver They can replace gold.
What about money?
As for silver, this research center points out: Much larger quantities of gold have been discoveredin particular about 1,740,000 metric tons, which is they can be stored in a 55-foot cube on both sides. To calculate, it is sufficient to know that the density of this noble metal is 10.49 grams per cubic centimeter.”
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Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]