Interesting Fact About Gold: There’s Enough To Wrap Around The Earth 11.2 Million Times

Gold is one of the most valued metals of humankind. It has been said many a times times that if all of the gold that has ever been mined were melted into a single cube, it would be considerably smaller than most people would think. However, this gold is also enough to cover the entire earth 11.2 million times, according to the data by the World Gold Council. It is not as confusing as it sounds. To put the above claim into perspective, think like this: it is estimated by experts that about 209,000 metric tons of gold have been mined out of the earth since the beginning of civilisation.

The amount is enormous, and gold is very dense, approximately 19.3 grams per cubic centimetre. It is also said that if this gold is shaped into a perfect cube, it would measure about 22 meters (72 feet) on each side, which is not large enough to cover half a city block.

Gold Is Malleable

The most fascinating and fun characteristic of gold is that it is malleable. One ounce of gold (approximately 28 grams) can be beaten into a sheet almost 9 square meters in size, only 5 microns (thinner than a hair) thick wire, according to the World Gold Council. This thinness is prolonged to such an extent that even a small amount of it can cover vast surfaces.

When you divide all the gold that has been mined, laid out in ultra-thin sheets, the area will measure about 1.8 billion square kilometres. This is because the surface of the Earth measures approximately 510 million square kilometres, and all the gold would circle the surface of the Earth more than three and a half times in a single layer. However, with a strategic layering or overlapping, cumulative coverage goes to the astounding 11.2 million wraps.

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The real calculation can depend on various factors, like the type of gold, its purity, and how it is measured or shaped. However, this fascinating comparison of wrapping gold around the Earth is meant only to highlight gold’s malleability and the total amount of gold mined so far, rather than to present an exact scientific calculation.

This fact highlights the rarity and usefulness of gold. The total volume is relatively small, even though it is widely used in the jewellery, electronics, and finance industries. Its demand is not due to abundance, but to its special physical characteristics, resistance to corrosion, good conductivity, and unsurpassed lustre.

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The fact that gold is a stretchable material is also why it is invaluable in the present technology, in both satellite components and in medical equipment. However, the new sources are reducing, and in the future, the greater part of the gold can be recycled instead of mined.