I thought Archimedes solved this problem 2500 years ago.
The reason why tungsten is being used is because it has nearly the same density as gold.
They are going to have to resort to electromagnetic scanners or something.
I thought Archimedes solved this problem 2500 years ago.
A properly weighted gold/tungsten/lead bar would pass the Archimedes test...
His problem involved silver melted into the gold.
This is more insidious, in that tungsten and gold weigh nearly the same, so the volume is also nearly the same.......
Pretty much. A scale and a graduated cylinder is all I need...
The secret died with him in that tub.
The specific gravities are pretty close. 19.29 for gold, 19.62 for tungsten. By the time you get to a 10 oz bar, with a fairly thick coating of gold, the difference is a tad tighter.
Archimedes didn’t know about tungsten, which has a density almost equal to gold, 19.25 g/cm3 versus gold’s 19.30 g/cm3.