Gold will have a yellow metallic streak, pyrite will have a greenish-black streak.
Pyrite's color is extremely similar to that of gold. However, the streak of pyrite is black. This can be used to distinguish it from gold.
Gold will have a gold metallic streak, and Fool's Gold (pyrite) will have a greenish black streak.
To tell the difference between pyrite and real gold, you can check the color and shape of the ore. Gold and pyrite have a yellowish color but pyrite has a pale and brassy color compared to gold. Pyrites are shaped more like crystals while gold tends to form as a nugget. Another difference between the two is that gold can be scratched with a pocketknife while pyrite cannot be scratched. You also can use the malleability and odor tests.
When dragged across a streak plate, gold will leave a yellow streak, pyrite will leave a greenish-black streak. It is one way of differentiating gold from pyrite.
the color of crushed pyrite is a greenish brown. Compared to gold which is gold.
The color of pyrite and gold are different in the powdered state achieved by rubbing an edge of the mineral against an unglazed tile. This color is called the mineral's streak. Gold will have a shiny gold streak and pyrite will have a blackish green streak.
Pyrite and gold are similar in color, and both are relatively heavy when compared to other minerals and rock. Pyrite fractures when hit with a hammer. Gold, however, is malleable. Pyrite leaves a brownish-black streak on a streak plate. Gold leaves a gold-colored streak. Gold is nearly 4 times as heavy as pyrite. Gold is much softer than pyrite on the Mohs hardness scale.
Pyrite also known as "fool's gold" is a mineral that has both a different chemical, morphological and physical characteristics than gold. Gold is denser (i.e. the same size of gold is much heavier than the that of pyrite). Gold's average density is 17.64 g/cm3 while Pyrite's density is on average 5.01 g/cm3. The chemical formulas are different. Gold's chemical formula is "Au" while Pyrite's is and iron sulfate mineral with a formula of "FeS2". The color is also different, gold appears the color of gold while pyrite is more bronze in color. The crystallographic form of the minerals also vary. Gold is a very soft mineral while Pyrite is much harder (gold has a hardness of 2.5 while Pyrite is 6.5). To distinguish between a sample of each, you could scratch the surface of gold using your fingernail which you would not be able to do with pyrite. You can try to scratch it because pyrite or fools gold much harder then gold so if it doesn't scratch that much it is most likely pyrite or fools gold. You can tell them apart by looking at their reflection and streak. Also, gold is much more dense than pyrite, so the same volume would 'weigh' about 3.5 times more. Gold has a hardness of about 2.5, while pyrite is about 6 (Gold is softer and more malable). Streak is used to distinguish between Gold and Pyrite.
Prospectors used the physical property of density to differentiate between iron pyrite and gold. Gold is denser than iron pyrite, so prospectors could use the weight of a sample to determine whether it was more likely to be gold or iron pyrite.
I would say streak (Is that a physical property?). Gold has a yellow streak, pyrite a very distinguishable greenish-black to brownish-black. [A streak is obtained by scratching a mineral (or rock) on a streak plate (a white plate made of porcelain (floor tile-like), with a hardness of around 6.5 (Mohs scale)] If streak is not a physical property I would say hardness: gold has a hardness of 2.5, pyrite of around 6. I'm sure there are other usuable physical properties, as density for ex.
Color is not a reliable test for distinguishing between pyrite and gold because both minerals can appear as a brassy yellow color. Other properties, such as hardness and specific gravity, are more useful for distinguishing between the two. Pyrite is harder and heavier than gold, so conducting tests based on these properties is more accurate.
The streak of pyrite, often referred to as "fool's gold," is a greenish-black to brown color, while magnetite has a black streak. Streak is the color of the powder produced when a mineral is scraped across a hard surface, such as a porcelain plate, and can help differentiate between minerals that may appear similar in appearance.