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Early prospectors used density to determine whether they had found gold or pyrite by comparing the weight of the mineral sample to its volume. Gold has a higher density than pyrite, so a sample of gold would feel heavier for its size compared to a sample of pyrite. By calculating the density of the sample using the formula density = mass/volume, prospectors could determine if they had found gold or pyrite based on the density value obtained.

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Which physical property did prospectors use to tell the difference between iron pyrite and gold?

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.


What is the mass of a piece of pyrite that has a volume of 10 ml?

The density of pyrite is about 5 g/cm³. To find the mass of the pyrite, you can use the formula: mass = density x volume. Therefore, in this case, the mass of the pyrite would be 50 grams.


If the volume of the sample of pyrite equals the volume of the sample of gold how many?

If the volumes of the samples of pyrite and gold are equal, you cannot directly determine the number of samples without knowing the specific mass or density of each material. Pyrite has a lower density (about 5 g/cm³) compared to gold (about 19.3 g/cm³), meaning that for the same volume, a sample of gold would weigh significantly more than a sample of pyrite. Therefore, while the volumes may be equal, the mass of gold will be greater than that of pyrite.


What do you use to tell gold from pyrite?

The hardness of it. Gold is harder than pyrite.


What is the weight of pyrite?

The weight of pyrite varies depending on the size of the specimen. On average, the density of pyrite is around 5 g/cm3, which means a cubic centimeter of pyrite would weigh around 5 grams.


What is the density of gold and of pyrite?

gold 19.30pyrite 4.95 to 5.10


Is a Nugget real gold or fools gold if a it has a mass of 100.0 g and displaces the water level in a graduated cylinder by 15.0cm3 from 10.0cm3?

density=g/cm3 The density of Gold is 19.3g/cm3 The density of Fool's Gold (pyrite) is 5g/cm3 The question is slightly ambiguous as first written so two calculations are given: # 100/15= 6.666g/cm3 So this nugget is possibly pyrite and not gold. 100/5= 20g/cm3 So this nugget is possibly gold.


What is the mass of pyrite?

the density of pyrite or fool's gold is 5.01g/cm3


When looking for gold in Californiawhat chracteristics would be the best way to distinguish gold from pyrite?

It can be identified in the field by the sulfur smell of the powdered mineral. Its metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold due to many miners mistaking it for the real thing, though small quantities of actual gold are sometimes found in pyrite. In fact, such auriferous pyrite is a valuable ore of gold.


Why does a piece of gold weigh more than a piece of pyrite that is the same size?

Gold has a higher density than pyrite, which means it contains more mass in the same volume. This higher density is due to the atomic structure and composition of gold, which makes it heavier compared to pyrite even though they may appear to be the same size.


What is the mass of a 10.0 cm3 sample of pyrite?

Pyrite has a density of 4.8-5g/cm3 mass = density x volume = (4.8-5)g/cm3 x 10 cm3 = 48 to 50 grams.


The density of gold is 19.3 g cm3 The density of iron pyrite is 5.0 g cm3 If a nugget of iron pyrite and a nugget of gold each have a mass of 50 g what can you conclude about the volume of each nugget?

The nugget of gold has a volume of 2.6 cm3, and the nugget of pyrite has a volume of 10 cm3.