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Material World

Gold vs Platinum

Gold and Platinum are genuine alternatives to one another — a choice somebody actually makes — and differ on 6 measured properties, density most clearly.

Gold vs Platinum

Gold

Au

The one metal that does not corrode, tarnish or react — which is most of why it became money.

Platinum

Pt

A metal too refractory for the Spanish to melt, discarded as an impurity in silver, and now central to catalysis.

Property comparison of Gold and Platinum
PropertyGoldPlatinum
Atomic number79 higher78
Density19.32 g/cm³21.45 g/cm³ higher
Electrical conductivity45.2 MS/m higher9.4 MS/m
Melting point1064.18 °C1768 °C higher
Mohs hardness

Mohs hardness is an ordinal scale: values can be ranked, but differences and ratios between them are not meaningful.

about 2.5about 3.5 higher
Molar mass196.96657 g/mol higher195.084 g/mol

Other comparisons