Final answer:
Gold, represented by the symbol Au in the periodic table, is a dense and soft element with remarkable malleability and ductility. It has an atomic number of 79 and a density of about 19 g/cm³, which helps distinguish genuine gold from imitations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the periodic table, gold is an element with the symbol Au. Its atomic number is 79, which means it has 79 protons in its nucleus. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, and the most malleable and ductile of the known metals. While alchemists historically attempted to create gold, they failed because gold is an element that cannot be produced by chemically altering other substances.
Gold has been highly valued by civilizations for its beauty and rarity, often used to make jewelry and as currency. An important physical property of gold is its density, which is approximately 19 g/cm³. This is useful in verifying the authenticity of gold items, as the density of fake gold materials usually differs significantly from genuine gold. The symbol for gold in the periodic table is neither Gd (which is the symbol for Gadolinium) nor G, but Au, from the Latin name 'aurum'.