Gold can be flattened to a thickness of 0.1 microns. What surface can be covered with a 2g sheet of gold?

Given:

h = 0.1 micrometer = 0.0000001 meter – the thickness to which gold can be flattened;

m = 2 grams = 0.002 kilograms – the mass of a piece of gold;

ro = 13600 kilograms / cubic meter – the density of gold.

It is required to determine S (square meter) – which surface can be covered with a piece of gold of mass m.

Let’s find the volume of gold with mass m:

V = m / ro = 0.002 / 13600 = 0.00000015 cubic meters.

Then the surface area will be equal to:

S = V / h = 0.00000015 / 0.0000001 = 1.5 square meters.

Answer: a piece of gold can cover a surface equal to 1.5 m2.