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Oh, they probably just noticed one day that the two are almost nothing alike each other, and that you'd have to be an idiot to fail to identify them as separate materials. Ever seen gold leave a big black streak when dragged across a surface?
And the compound you're referring to is called iron pyrite-- "fool's gold," is a nickname. It's called "fool's gold" because you'd have to be a "fool" not to be able to tell it apart from gold. Otherwise they'd probably call it something like "nearly gold, almost anyone could fall for the similarities." But they don't.
The alchemists would not have known streak-plate tests or compounds like iron pyrites as that, but they might have picked up other characteristics, such the ease or otherwise of melting the two materials. Remember that alchemists were not scientists as we would accept, but empiricists who worked on random guess-work in searching for that which cannot exist.
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TaigaAlchemists used various methods such as heating or testing the properties of the samples to differentiate between gold and fools gold. One common technique involved observing the reactions of the samples to acids – gold does not react with most acids, while fools gold (iron pyrite) does. Additionally, the density and color of the samples could also provide clues to distinguish between the two.
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What was the goal of alchemists in Europe?
The goal of alchemists in Europe was to transform base metals into gold, find a universal cure for diseases (the philosopher's stone), and attain spiritual enlightenment through the transformation of the self. They believed in the idea of transmutation and were also interested in achieving immortality.
What elements did alchemists discover?
Alchemists discovered and worked with various elements, including sulfur, mercury, salt, and lead. They believed that by combining and transforming these elements, they could create the philosopher's stone and achieve transmutation of different metals into gold. These early alchemical ideas ultimately laid the groundwork for modern chemistry.
What are alchemists known for?
Alchemists are known for their historical practice of attempting to convert base metals into gold and to create the philosopher's stone, a substance believed to grant eternal life. They also made contributions to early chemistry by developing lab equipment and techniques still used today.
Why wont chemists find anything between oxygen and fluorine?
Chemists won't find any stable compounds between oxygen and fluorine because of the large difference in electronegativity between the two elements. Fluorine is the most electronegative element, and oxygen is also highly electronegative, leading to a strong repulsion between them that prevents the formation of stable compounds.
How do you find what type of bond is a compound?
You can determine the type of bond in a compound by analyzing the difference in electronegativity between the atoms involved. If the electronegativity difference is small (less than 1.7), it's a polar covalent bond. If the difference is large (greater than 1.7), it's an ionic bond. If the difference is zero, it's a nonpolar covalent bond.
