Generation of gold, silver, copper elements

[nikolatesla20]

"Generation" of gold, silver, copper elements

Since gold, and silver, and copper are all elements, I am a little confused - are they generated, or is there already only so much of each in the Earth, period?

I know I found some data on Wikipedia that indicated that the various elements can be generated by different geological processes - copper for instance can come from lava flows - but is this just copper that came from deep within the Earth, or is it actually "created" somehow? If it's created, that would mean it's particular configuration of protons, neutrons, and electrons had to come about. So if it was "generated", then how did this happen ? I know diamonds are created by extreme heat and pressure, but diamonds are a molecular structure, and not a fundamental element...so just curious whether an actual element can be generated (other than of course in a supercollider ring)

-niko

 

[jtbell]

Since gold, and silver, and copper are all elements, I am a little confused - are they generated, or is there already only so much of each in the Earth, period?

The latter. The heavier elements were originally created in the interiors of stars, during a stellar evolution process that eventually leads to a supernova that disperses the atoms. Eventually some of the resulting interstellar dust and gas coalesced to form the solar system including its planets.

As far as I know, the only elements whose atoms are actually created on or in the Earth are the ones that arise from the decay of long-lived radioactive elements such as uranium, and short-lived ones created by cosmic-ray interactions. But these are probably mere traces compared to gold, silver, copper, iron, etc.

 

[sir-pinski]

It is important to clarify that elements like gold, silver, and copper cannot be created or generated in the sense that they did not previously exist. These elements have been present on Earth since its formation and are continuously recycled through various geological processes.

For example, gold is formed through supernova explosions and is brought to the Earth's surface through volcanic activity. Silver and copper are also formed through various geological processes, such as hydrothermal activity and magmatic intrusions.

While it is possible to create elements artificially in a laboratory setting, this is not the same as generating them in the natural sense. In fact, the process of creating elements in a lab requires tremendous amounts of energy and is not feasible on a large scale.

In summary, gold, silver, and copper are not generated, but rather exist in finite amounts on Earth and are recycled through natural processes.