Lead into gold

[claymore]

Is it theoretically possible to alter the atomic structure of an element and turn it into a totally different one? For instance , platinum, gold and mercury are side by side on the periodic table so there structure must be fairly similar.Basically, could you turn platinum into gold? [ without blowing yourself and the surrounding countryside to pieces].......ask any alchemists, they all reckon its possible.

[heathfield]

It's very possible, and turning lead into gold has been done. The biggest problem is that the amount of energy needed to do it costs more than the value of the end product. See here, for example.

[Loosehead]

Yes, all you need is a giant fusion reactor, you can start with the gases and eventually you can turn hydrogen into gold and all the other heavy elements. The best way to do this is to construct a star!

Fusion has been been acheived but as heathfiled says it took more energy input than any potential value output.

[jake-the-peg]

Sadly you cannot even turn lead into gold in a fusion reactor.

The reactions that create elements heavier than iron take more energy than they liberate.

In order to make gold you first need to build your star, a big one and then get it to explode in a supernova.

Light the blue touchpaper and retire to a safe part of the galaxy!

Then you have to pick up the pieces!

If you want gold I recommend the sea - I recall hearing that there's a tonne of gold in every cubic mile of ocean

[dundurn]

Of course radioactive elements have a habit of turning themselves into other elements without your asking them to. Sadly none of them seems to favour gold as a final destination, lead seems to be more common.

Unfortunately I fear Jake may have to put his get-rich-quick from seawater scheme on the back burner. I calculate that to end up with 1cc of gold you'd have to process 10,000 litres of seawater. Gold is so inert. however ,that you're in real danger of not finding an extraction process. Meanwhile the seawater, far from being pure H2O, is contaminated with so many other things that your filtration process is going to be continually blocked by bits of crud. I think if it was possible it would be being done.

Now a small submarine dredging for diamonds on the continental shelf of Namibia - that might work!

[kwicky]

If current science can get us down to the Fempto level ie 10 ^ -15 and manipulate by nanotechnology surely the next step is to reach down to the atomic level.

[Space]

" .ask any alchemists, they all reckon its possible. "
Did you ask your local alchemist ?
What price did he quote you?
Mine is on holiday right now...

[Teddio]

Try transmutation of the elements. Element 78 is Platinum. If Pt is placed in a nuclear reactor its nucleus should absorb neutrons. The neutron-rich Pt nucleus will undergo beta minus decay becoming element 79, Gold. The isotope of Gold produced is very likely to be unstable and hence radioactive.