Copper or Gold?

[Scootie]

I have just discovered that my HUGE stock pile of accent computer parts may actually be worth something. Old printed circuit boards, and high end boards are covered with GOLD!!!. My question is: How can I tell if a particular bored is made of Gold or something less valuable like copper?

[RyanJ]

well gold is far less reactive than copper for one thing so you could use a reaction to test. This is a destructive method though and not really what you want.

[YT2095]

you`ll find also it won`t be solid gold, but plated gold on a base metal (such as copper).

[insane_alien]

yeah, i think the amount of gold on a PCB was a few milligrams tops. maybe a pennies worth if your lucky.

[GutZ]

Displacement - Archimedes' principle - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buoyancy

 

maybe?

[insane_alien]

gutz, if there was a few square miles of PCB then maybe this would work. other than that no.

[RyanJ]

As I recall the steps for extracting various metals from PCB's is quite complex, they extract the copper, gold, silver etc.

 

You could probably do it but it would be more expensive than the worth of the gold in them.

[GutZ]

gutz, if there was a few square miles of PCB then maybe this would work. other than that no.

 

You make it sound like my idea is so unreasonable, Maybe he does!

[John Cuthber]

"How can I tell if a particular bored is made of Gold or something less valuable like copper?"

Gold is golden in colour whereas copper is copper coloured.

The gold plating is very thin If you are setting up a "collection of the elements" then old circuit boards are one of the few places you will get gold for free.