The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 13 Summary Reflextion

1. Steel, White Gold, Stellite
2. change in form.
3. FeS2
4. It hides itself in average light, but when put under UV light it glows revealing its the real thing.
5. The aluminum is supposed to signify greatness because it is expensive, but because it is almost dirt cheap now, it doesn't belong.
6. If gold and platinum were easier to get, their prices would increase. Aluminum.

Summary

Since the beginning of human civilization, elements have been used as currency. Today, we use paper money being made out of paper and coins made out of zinc, copper, and nickel, but back then people used metals like gold and silver as currency. However, metals, unlike other types of money are easy to counterfeit due to their similarities with cheaper metals.  The solution is alloys.  Alloys are combinations of elements designed to make them stronger or more resistant to corrosion.  When alloys are used as money, it is easier to counterfeit them since certain proportions can be changed but the alloys will appear the same.

Gold is a element people know as the source of wealth and value. Kean also mentions today's problem with counterfeit money and the efforts done by the European Union to find the fake money. The element europium is the hero in the mission to find counterfeit money along with fluorescence. Europium and fluorescing dye are combined to be used on the euros. By seeing the euro with the naked eye, the euro appears to be a certain color, but when put under a special laser, a charcoal sketch of Europe appears to show an authentic euro. However, after Charles Hall found a way to get pure aluminum easily, its prices plummeted.

Reflection

This chapter dealt more with the subject of wealth than the previous did about politics. Money makes the world go 'round.