Gold and its uses.

Gold's great virtues of malleability, ductility, reflectivity, resistance to corrosion and unparalleled ability as a thermal and electrical conductor mean it is used in a wide variety of industrial applications consuming close to 300 tonnes annually. Gold (Au, from Latin "Aurum" (World Book Dictionary) is the most non-reactive of all metals -- it is benign in all natural and industrial environments. Gold never reacts with oxygen (one of the most active elements), which means it will …

…extremely important to man. This will prove especially true in the information and space age. Its ductility, malleability, reflectivity, resistance to corrosion and unparalleled ability as a thermal and electrical conductor will insure that it remains as important as it is today. References Gold Institute,1996, http://www.goldinstitute.com/facts.html Richmont-Mines, http://www.richmont-mines.com/en/nugget.htm World Book Dictionary, Volume one, 1990, pg. 133 World Gold Council, http://www.gold.org/pages/indu1.html