Where’s the best place to find a huge chunk of gold (Au)? According to scientists, the largest nuggets of this precious metal usually form within a mineral called quartz. Why does this happen? Scientists might finally have an explanation.
Quartz has an unusual property: When shaken or squished, it becomes electrically charged. Chris Voisey, a geologist from Monash University in Australia, hypothesized that vibrations from earthquakes might cause quartz to generate enough electricity to attract particles of gold. Over time, these particles would collect on the mineral’s surface.
Voisey decided to test his theory in the lab. First, he submerged slabs of quartz in a gold-rich liquid. Then he used a machine to shake the slab, mimicking an earthquake. When he looked at the quartz under a microscope, he saw particles of gold stuck to its surface! The more he shook the quartz, the more glittering gold clumped together.