what will you do with $100k?

wstar · 09-07-2011, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakoye

Apparently no other metal has the exact density of gold, so if a coin is actually gold, it will have a precise weight related to its circumference and thickness.

I guess they do the same thing with nuggets, although that would seem to be a bit more difficult, due the irregular surface/sizing.

It's easy with irregular objects too: you fill a measuring cup with a precise amount of water, drop the object into the water, and measure how much the water level rises. This gives you the exact volume of the object, which combined with its dry weight on a scale gives you density.

wstar · 09-07-2011, 02:12 PM

However, it is in theory possible to defeat the density method. Most of the metals denser than gold are also pretty rare and hard to come by. But, for example, you can buy Iridium at somewhere around half the price of gold, and since it's slightly denser, you'd just need to mix it with something lighter (or drill a few holes) to make a mostly-Iridium object seem to have the same density as gold. Perhaps if you encased it in an outer layer of actual gold, nobody would notice unless they somehow scanned the inner structure with pretty advanced instruments (or cut or melted the object).

It would take a lot of up-front capital to pull off a scam like that with any chance of success.

shadoquad · 09-07-2011, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wstar

It would take a lot of up-front capital to pull off a scam like that with any chance of success.

Now we know what wstar would do with his hundred grand

09-07-2011, 02:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3596	However, it is in theory possible to defeat the density method. Most of the metals denser than gold are also pretty rare and hard to come by. But, for example, you can buy Iridium at somewhere around half the price of gold, and since it's slightly denser, you'd just need to mix it with something lighter (or drill a few holes) to make a mostly-Iridium object seem to have the same density as gold. Perhaps if you encased it in an outer layer of actual gold, nobody would notice unless they somehow scanned the inner structure with pretty advanced instruments (or cut or melted the object). It would take a lot of up-front capital to pull off a scam like that with any chance of success. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

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