Many ancient scientists tried to achieve that. One of the supreme quests of alchemy is to transmute lead into gold. Lead (atomic number 82) and gold (atomic number 79) are defined as elements by the number of protons they possess. Changing the element requires changing the atomic (proton) number. The number of protons cannot be altered by any chemical means. However, physics may be used to add or remove protons and thereby change one element into another. Because lead is stable, forcing it to release three protons requires a vast input of energy, such that the cost of transmuting it greatly surpasses the value of the resulting gold. Transmutation of lead into gold isn't just theoretically possible - it has been achieved! There are reports that Glenn Seaborg, 1951 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, succeeded in transmuting a minute quantity of lead (possibly en route from bismuth, in 1980) into gold. There is an earlier report (1972) in which Soviet physicists at a nuclear research facility near Lake Baikal in Siberia accidentally discovered a reaction for turning lead into gold when they found the lead shielding of an experimental reactor had changed to gold.
Alchemists, are the ones who tried to turn lead into gold.
Transmutation of lead into gold isn't just theoretically possible - it has been achieved! There are reports that Glenn Seaborg, 1951 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, succeeded in transmuting a minute quantity of lead (possibly en route from bismuth, in 1980) into gold.
It's not that much of a trick to turn metal into gold as long as the metal you start with is gold...
An Alchemist was an ancient type of scientise, they are most well known for trying to turn lead into gold
Lead and gold are both elements. That is, they are already in their simplest form. It is not possible to convert one to the other by any chemical means. Alchemist used to try to do this. But lead has been converted into gold in the physics lab by nuclear means. The results are radioactive, but it was done on a small scale as an exercise to realize the long-sought alchemists' dream. But only that. It's not a safe and cost effective way to obtain gold.
Alchemists, are the ones who tried to turn lead into gold.
They tried to turn lead into gold, and to create the philosopher's stone.
No, Santiago does not turn lead into gold in "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. Santiago is a shepherd on a journey to find his Personal Legend, not an alchemist.
turn stuff into goldAlchemists tried to make gold from other non-gold metals, lead in particular. These tries turned out to teach us a lot about chemistry.
Transmutation of lead into gold isn't just theoretically possible - it has been achieved! There are reports that Glenn Seaborg, 1951 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, succeeded in transmuting a minute quantity of lead (possibly en route from bismuth, in 1980) into gold.
No. No matter how they tried it hasn't been done.
The alchemist typically works alone or in secret, so the process of turning lead into gold is not often observed by others. It is a closely guarded secret known only to a select few.
It's not that much of a trick to turn metal into gold as long as the metal you start with is gold...
An Alchemist was an ancient type of scientise, they are most well known for trying to turn lead into gold
Sell it, buy gold for the money. Technically is impossible to obtain gold from lead.
Lead and gold are both elements. That is, they are already in their simplest form. It is not possible to convert one to the other by any chemical means. Alchemist used to try to do this. But lead has been converted into gold in the physics lab by nuclear means. The results are radioactive, but it was done on a small scale as an exercise to realize the long-sought alchemists' dream. But only that. It's not a safe and cost effective way to obtain gold.
A Medievel Chemist was known as an 'alchemist' in those times, and they where quite strange people. They tried to turn normal metals into gold with a Philosophers stone. But they started doing experiments on how heat changes if a chemical will be added to a solution....