Posted by Jock on December 05, 2006 at 22:33:44 from 87.105.81.146 user Jock.
In Reply to: Re: Captain Flint's travels - overcooked? posted by Robert Hill on December 05, 2006 at 21:52:36:
How many substances dissolve in aqua regia, but not in the constituent acids, but also look like gold? [emphasis added]
[This is really a question for "Stinks Nicholls", St TarBoard's Chemistry Master, but as he has taken an extensive sabatical and I seem to be permanently saddled with taking his class, here goes.]
The only other metal that I know of that behaves like this is Platinum. Granted that pure platinum and pure gold look decidedly different, however gold ore can contain a high proportion of silver, while platinum ore can contain gold, so it's not inconceivable that their crushed ores could look similar.