What is the difference between real gold and fool's gold?

Answer 1

• Gold is an element--gold. There's only gold in it. Pyrite--fool's gold--is a compound of iron and sulfur.
• Gold has the chemical symbol Au, and it is heavier and softer than a lot of other metals. It is considered a "noble" metal because it does not corrode or otherwise react with other elements easily. Other materials may be similar in color such as brass or fool's gold.
• Fool's gold is iron pyrite, and has the chemical formula FeS2. It is a brittle solid, where gold is soft.
• A small piece of fool's gold will break apart into many pieces if tapped with a hammer or like object. A small goldnugget will flatten slightly but will not break apart. Real gold is soft, and the pressure of a thumbnail will make a small indentation in it. See the field test that follows.
• Gold has a specific gravity around 19 while fools gold (iron pyrite) has a specific gravity of 4.95 to 5.10.
• Fools gold is harder than gold. The hardness of Fools gold is 6 to 6.5 while gold is softer and has a hardness of 2.5 on the Moh's scale of hardness.
• Pyrite is slightly harder than steel and cannot be scratched with a knife while gold is much softer than steel and can easily be scratched with a knife.
• Pyrite emits sulfur when heated...gold does not.

  There are many differences between Fools Gold and Gold, that is how "fools gold" got its name.

• Fools gold (iron pyrite) is relatively heavy, it is about one fourth to one third as heavy as gold and about as heavy as iron.

  with a knife.

Field TestProspectors had a pretty simple test to determine if what they had found was the real stuff or fool's gold. Real gold is extremely malleable, unlike the crystals of fool's gold. If they could put a small indentation in a piece of gold with their fingernail, it was the real thing.

Interesting factoid...

Gold forms in pyrite deposits. To get it out, you grind the pyrite fine. Next, heat the pyrite until the sulfur burns off. Finally, put the remaining product in water and use a magnet to separate out the iron. Now you can sell the iron for a good price, and the gold for a very good price.

Answer 2

A presence of fools gold, or Pyrite, does not usually mean there is gold present as well. However, sometimes it is, indirectly.

Answer 3

fake gold is light and real gold is heavy.

This is right ans..