Au
Gold Symbol (Au)
Gold is element 79 of the periodic table. Copy its symbol Au and see its atomic weight, electron configuration and common compounds.
What does Au mean?
Au is the chemical symbol for gold, element number 79 in the periodic table. Gold is a transition metal in group 11, period 6. It is a dense, unreactive precious metal; its symbol Au comes from the Latin aurum.
Codes and properties
| Chemical symbol | Au |
|---|---|
| Atomic number (Z) | 79 |
| Atomic weight (PubChem) | 196.96657 |
| Group / period | 11 / 6 |
| Element category | transition metal |
| Electron configuration | [Xe]6s¹ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰ |
| State at 20 °C | Solid |
| Oxidation states | +3, +1 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 2.54 |
| Melting point | 1337.33 K (1064.18 °C) |
| Boiling point | 3129 K (2855.85 °C) |
| Density | 19.282 g/cm³ |
| Discovered | Known since ancient times |
| Common compounds | AuCl₃, HAuCl₄ |
How to type Au
- Plain text: type
Au— element symbols are ordinary Latin letters, with the first letter capitalised and the second lowercase. - Subscripts in formulas: use Unicode subscript digits (₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉) for formulas such as AuCl₃ — copy them from the chemistry keyboard.
- LaTeX: write
\mathrm{Au}in math mode, or use the mhchem package:\ce{Au}. - HTML:
Au; for subscripts use<sub>, e.g.H<sub>2</sub>O.
Frequently asked questions
What is the chemical symbol for gold?
The chemical symbol for gold is Au.
What is the atomic number of gold?
Gold has atomic number 79, meaning each atom has 79 protons.
What is the electron configuration of gold?
The ground-state electron configuration of gold is [Xe]6s¹ 4f¹⁴ 5d¹⁰.
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Reference: Gold on PubChem (NIH)