cm-3 Melting Point: 2334 C, 4233 F, 2607.4 K Boiling Point: 4150 C, 7502 F, 4423 K Heat of Fusion: 38.59 kJ.mol-1 Heat of Vaporization: 591.6 kJ.mol-1 Atomic: Oxidation States: 8, 7, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, -2 Electronegativity: 2.3 (Pauling scale) Atomic Radius: 134 picometre Covalent Radius: 146 7 picometre Ionization Energies: 710.2 kJ. cm-3 Melting Point: 1554.9 C, 2830.82 F, 1828.05 K Boiling Point: 2963 C, 5365 F, 3236 K Heat of Fusion: 16.74 kJ.mol-1 Heat of Vaporization: 362 kJ.mol-1 Atomic: Oxidation States: 0, +1, +2, +4, +6 Electronegativity: 2.2 (Pauling scale) Atomic Radius: 137 picometre Covalent Radius: 139 6 picometre Van der Waals Radius: 163 picometre Ionization Energies: 804.4 kJ. The nugget's discoverer, Kevin Hillier, was aided by a metal detector in this precious find. Hillier found the nugget in a vertical position just a foot below the surface. The Hand of Faith weighs 874.82 troy ounces (60 pounds) and measures 1.54 feet (0.47 meter) x 0.66 feet (0.20 meter) x 0.30 feet (0.09 meter). Wollaston's discovery of rhodium was made possible with the use of crude platinum ore. He first dissolved the ore in nitro-hydrochloric acid (also called aqua regia) and neutralized the acid with lye (or sodium hydroxide). By adding salmiac (ammonium chloride), he then precipitated the platinum. All other metals, including rhodium, were precipitated with zinc. While some accounts point to the year 1848 when gold was discovered in California, history tells us that this precious metal was already being used extensively by the ancient Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Chinese, and South Americans. Throughout history, gold has served as a measure of value and a symbol of wealth. It is the densest natural element, being about 0.03 g/cm3 denser than iridium (the second densest natural element) and about twice as dense as lead. Among the platinum family members, osmium has the highest melting point and the lowest vapor pressure. This precious metal is nearly impossible to fabricate.