would adding a proton or taking a proton away from gold nucleus mean it is more finacially valuable

Question

would adding a proton or taking a proton away from gold nucleus mean it is more finacially valuable

i think it would make it less valuable am i right or not, because you are reducing its state
Helen

Maybe but I think you are using the wrong criterion.
Gold is Au. The atomic number is 79. We won't worry about the mass.

₇₉Au ==>₁P + _zzX^ww

OR

₇₉Au + ₁P ==> _zzX^ww

The idea here is to make the two sides add up. Then look at a periodic table to determine what X is in each case. Knowing the element will tell you which is more valuable. In the second case, 79 + 1 = 80 so the atomic number (zz here) is 80 and that is mercury (Hg). I will leave the first one for you to do but it should come as no surprise that if you add 1 to 79 you get 80 and if you subtract 1 from 79 you get ?? and ?? is what element?

thanks i get
79 Au + 1P ---> 80 Hg mercury

79 Au - 1P ----> 78 Pt Platinum

I would say that by taking away the one proton it would make gold more financially better as platinum is more expensive than gold. Am I right? with the explanation

Answer 1

Yes, you are correct. By taking away one proton from the gold nucleus, you would create platinum (Pt), which is more valuable than gold. Platinum is a rare and highly valuable metal, often used in jewelry, electronics, and industrial applications. So, removing a proton from gold to create platinum would indeed make it more financially valuable.

I just want to clarify that the value of an element is not solely determined by the number of protons in its nucleus but also by factors such as rarity, demand, and market pricing. However, in this specific comparison between gold and platinum, platinum is generally considered more valuable.