ESSAY: The gold miner makes practical use of the physical properties of minerals

DB-5: The gold miner makes practical use of the physical properties of minerals

Gold prospectors while very likely never took a course in geology they did, however, understood some of the practical aspects of the physical properties of minerals and new where to pan along a stream to get best results (more gold!!); for those who don’t know: pan that gold prospectors use looks like an old fashioned steel frying pan but without the handle,
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While panning for gold, the granular material in the pan at the final step of panning are as three parts: a)lots of lighter sandy material found near the side of the pan, b) much smaller portions of very dark (almost black) particles, the mineral magnetite, found next sandy material, and c) a tiny amount of the gold which is found next to the black particles.

Discuss the following:
1. What physical property of the granular materials in the pan at this final step and what physical force allows for this unique distribution of the three parts?

2. (a) What is the chemical composition or mineral form of each part, that is the lighter material, the black material, and the gold? Hint: the sandy material includes the element silicon; the black material includes some iron; the gold is gold.
(b)Where did these minerals come from?

3. Assuming that you are out in central Oregon panning for gold in a meandering stream as the with clumps of weeds and old tree stumps randomly position on both sides of the stream; where would you focus your efforts to carry out the panning to get the most gold and why?

4. Do you think Florida streams are good sources for potential gold? Explain your answer
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ANSWER

The Gold Miner makes Practical use of the Physical Properties of Minerals

            At the final step, the physical property of the granular materials in the pan comprises malleability, which is its capability to bend, and also have great density. The great density of gold ensures that gold proprietors can separate the rare flecks of gold from pebbles, ordinary rocks, and silt (Carvalho, 2017). As the simplest technique, the final step requires panning to find gold in rivers and streams. The physical force necessary to allow this unique distribution of all the parts is known as panning.

           The mineral form or chemical composition of every part is magnetite (the black materials containing some iron), granite (silicon element), and gold dust (gold). These minerals originate from soil and rocks from the mountainsides, rivers, and streams (Ncube-Phiri et al., 2015). These materials are naturally occurring, and they come to the surface of the earth, for instance, through natural processes such as heavy rainfall and volcanic activities.            While in Oregon panning gold, I would focus my efforts on the area with more alluvial depositions. I would do so by scooping it into a pan before gently agitating in water to determine whether a higher percentage of gold would sink to the bottom of the pan. In this case, the one area I would focus all my efforts is the section with clumps….