# How much gold do we have in the earth?

1. Jun 4, 2003

### Saint

I need to know that,
according to physics, we know the total mass of the earth,
so, how much gold , in kg, do we have ?

2. Jun 4, 2003

### Integral

Staff Emeritus
We can determine the mass of the earth without knowing anything of the constituant materials.

This question may be answered best by a geologist.

3. Jun 4, 2003

### Staff: Mentor

It says all the gold in the world would fit into a cube of 10m.

At a density of 19,300 kg/m^3, thats 19 million kg. In dollars, thats around $130 billion. Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017 4. Jun 5, 2003 ### Saint thanks 5. Jun 5, 2003 ### Creator Excuse ?, Russ. That$ figure seems quite low; I can almost assure you that the governments of the world already possess over $130 billion worth of gold. Using your total of 10 cu. meters, and a value of$370 per ounce, I get a figure of around 233 trillion dollars! as the total value. (;)

Creator

Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017
6. Jun 6, 2003

### Staff: Mentor

Sorry. I didn't feel like looking up the current price of gold. But with $370 / oz, I am still getting$251 BILLION, not trillion. Maybe my math is still wrong.

19 million kg * 2.2 lb/kg * 16 oz/lb * $370 / oz =$251 billion

7. Jun 6, 2003

### Creator

My mistake; apparently you are correct in the calculation, but it still sounds too LOW.

THe IMF alone has about 3217 metric tons of gold in their depositories with estimated market value of around $40 billion. If we add in all the holdings of all individual countries, corporations (especially gold producers), and private holdings (I've got one ounce) we are sure to get above$100 billion to \$200 billion worth, and this only accounts for what has already been mined from a 'scatch' in the earth's crust.

I think the earth has far more gold than these guys think. Maybe they want us to think gold is still rare so the price will go up. He, He.
Creator

Last edited: Jun 6, 2003
8. Jun 8, 2003

### LURCH

I'm pretty sure that was reffering to the gold in Earth's crust, only. Discovery Channel just said that the total amount of gold in the core would cover all the land on Earth knee-deep.

Mind you; I'm not suggesting that's what we should do with it, but it's nice to know we could.

Last edited by a moderator: May 1, 2017
9. Jun 12, 2003

### Guybrush Threepwood

I have to agree with Creator (that sounds kinda cool...)
If we divide "all" the gold evenly at the worlds population:
19.3*(10^6) kg / 6.2*(10^9) people = around 3 grams (the weight of a ring). That seems preety low to me.
I also see on Discovery recently a show about the making of the Euro and there was enough gold there to make at least 1/20 of that cube.....

10. Jun 23, 2003

### ShawnD

Fort Knox, USA alone has more than 10m^3 of gold....
10m^3 is only 3.3m x 3.3m x 3.3m, that's like 10 feet x 10 feet x 10 feet. Most small bedrooms are larger than that and the amount of gold in Fort Knox is much larger than your average bedroom.

11. Jun 23, 2003

### Tyger

How much Gold is in the Earth

and how much the human race has are two entirly different questions! Because Gold is very dense and not very reactive, except with Sulfur, and most of the Sulfur is in the Earth's mantle, most of the Gold will be very inaccessible.

12. Jun 28, 2003

### Will

I thought it said a cube of 10m, as in 1000m^3

13. Feb 4, 2004

### Gara

i too saw that show, about knee deep in gold. it'll become so unrare, it'll be worth less than...air.