What is the chemical symbol for gold?

The chemical symbol for gold is Au. The letters come from aurum, the Latin word for gold, rather than from the English name of the element.

Gold is element 79 on the periodic table and is classified as a transition metal and a noble metal. Its atoms contain 79 protons, while naturally occurring gold is mostly the stable isotope gold-197. The element is valued for its bright color, density, malleability, ductility, and unusual resistance to corrosion.

Gold’s symbol is one of several that preserve an older Latin name. Other examples include sodium, Na, from natrium; potassium, K, from kalium; and iron, Fe, from ferrum. This is why the symbol cannot be guessed simply from the modern English word “gold.”

Gold resists most individual acids, but it dissolves in aqua regia, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids. Its chemical symbol Au is also used in formulas for compounds such as gold chloride and gold cyanide.