Like every Friday, the "A Taste of Physics" corner is back — number 30.
This time: "fool's gold," its fascinating properties, and its connection to green energy.
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The crystal in the video is called pyrite.
Pure pyrite is a compound of iron and sulfur (a sulfide), sometimes with traces of other metals mixed in.
In everyday language it's also known as "fool's gold," because its metallic luster and color bear a deceptively close resemblance to real gold.
In a surprising twist on that mocking nickname, if you find pyrite in the ground there's a decent chance that mineable gold is nearby — so it's worth keep looking.
The reason pyrite appears so faceted and smooth is that its atoms crystallize layer by layer, with each iron atom surrounded by six sulfur atoms.
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When pyrite reacts with oxygen, it produces toxic sulfuric acid — a fact that makes mining it more challenging and requires careful safety precautions.
An interesting property of pyrite is that it is a natural semiconductor.
This has driven various research efforts to build pyrite-based solar cells, as well as to incorporate it into high-energy-capacity lithium batteries.
Despite its properties making it a promising candidate, practical applications in these fields have yet to achieve success.
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Finally, where does the name pyrite come from?
In ancient Greek, fire is called "pyr."
When pyrite is struck with metal, the impact produces sparks of fire — and that is what gave the mineral its name.
Shabbat Shalom 😊
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