Ever wondered why gold is yellow? The answer is Einstein’s Special Relativity.
In Gold (Atomic Number 79), the nucleus is so massive & packed with protons that the inner electrons have to orbit at incredible speeds (~58% the speed of light) just to avoid crashing into the
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Ever wondered why gold is yellow? The answer is Einstein’s Special Relativity.
In Gold (Atomic Number 79), the nucleus is so massive & packed with protons that the inner electrons have to orbit at incredible speeds (~58% the speed of light) just to avoid crashing into the center.
At these relativistic speeds, the electrons gain mass (according to E=mc^2). This mass increase shifts the energy levels of the electron sea.
Cos of this relativistic contraction, Gold's electrons become better at absorbing blue & violet light, rather than reflecting them. Since the blue is stolen by the atoms, the light that bounces back to our eye is shifted toward the yellow/red end of the spectrum.
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