Dear steemians, we are all familiar with the popular saying that “Not all that glitters is gold”. Some things could really look gorgeous and magnificent from a distance, but when we take a closer look at them, we would found out that they are not really what we think they are. This deceptive look, attributes or character, could piss most of us off once we realize the true picture of what we are dealing with. Hence, we tend to generalize things, people, places even countries, base of our experience or encounter. For example, most people think Whites are Racist and that they feel so superior because of the colour of their skin. Some would even say that they are sheep in wolves clothing. Others think Africa is a continent full of Apes and Monkey’s alike. That the black skin of Africans is associated with evil, backwardness and everything uncivilized. No wonder you’ll never really see a picture of a BLACK JESUS and a WHITE SATAN. Some people really think all substandard product are made from China and when a child is a black sheep of the family, gossip would spread that the child is made in China. Others believed that Mexico and Nigeria are a metropolitan sub-station for drug lords. Nigeria is perceived to be the JUDAS NATION of Africa. This explains why Donald Trump wanted the walls demarcating Mexico to built at the expense of Tax payers funds. Some folks think that the Roman Catholic Church consist of Mafians in Chasubule, Cassock and Stole. They sincerely assume that the CHURCH is an organized crime doing lots of shady deals including extorting money it’s faithful. More so that the PAPAL Pope Francis is tagged the Anti-Christ prophesied in the holy book. The most common is that all Islamic worshipers are Terrorist. While very few believed that the world was coming to its expected end on the 27th of July 2018 just like many other dates has been presumed before then. Due to the controversial nature of Science with other Principles and Beliefs, most people just concluded that all Scientist has no Religion and that they assume a more higher Status than the one and only Supreme God, worshiped and appraise by the majority of the inhabitant of this Earth. Others call him Yahweh! Jehovah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, Allah etc.
THE SCIENCE OF GOLD.
In the Study of Electro - Chemistry, two main Electrochemical cells are used to convert Potential Energy into Kinetic Energy. These two cells are;
- Galvanic Cell - which convert Chemical Energy into Electrical Energy.
- Electrolytic Cell – which converts Electrical energy into Chemical energy.
These two cells work on the principles of a REDOX reaction. Where by a spontaneous reaction occurs in the former and a non – spontaneous reaction in the later. They both make use of two electrodes (ANODE& CATHODE). Although the two cells are difference in structures however, the Salt bridge in the Galvanic cell is one features that obviously stand out between the two cells. The Anode Electrode is where OXIDATION occurs and it is negative for the Galvanic cell and positive for the Electrolytic cell. While the Cathode Electrode enjoys REDUCTION, it is positive for the Galvanic Cell and negative for the Electrolytic cell. It is imperative to state here that the word OXIDATION simply means Loss of Electron while REDUCTION means Gain of Electrons.
I will not be focusing on the Galvanic Cell here, since its uses is simply in the production of Batteries (Primary and Secondary) chargeable and non-rechargeable batteries.
The Electrolytic cell which is my main concern here, can be used in diverse ways. For instant, apart from Electroplating and Electrorefining of metals. It is also used in the process of Extraction of Aluminium from Bauxite / Cryolite, the decomposition of chlorine where CuCl2 goes to form Cl2(g) at the Anode terminal and Cu(s) is coated on to the electrode at the Cathode terminal. The Chloro Alkali Industry also make use of a special kind of electrolytic cell, with a membrane that allows the movement of positive ion. This industry produces Chlorine and Hydrogen gas including Sodium Hydroxide. The Hydrogen gas produced here is useful in the Haber process, when it reacts with Nitrogen to produce Ammonia. I believeonce address the
issue of Fertilisers on this platform.
ELECTROPLATING is the process by which a metal is coated on the surface of another metal by means of an electrolytic reaction. For instance, let’s take two metals (Au & Ni). The gold metal would be placed at the Anode of the Electrolytic Cell, Where Oxidation takes place and the Nickel metal will be placed at the Cathode where Reduction occurs. The Gold metal will be oxidised and loses electrons while the Nickel will be Reduced and then gains these electrons. The mass of the Gold will be reduced as electrons are moving away from it and forms a coated layer on the Nickel. When the Nickel metal is removed from the solution (Electrolyte) you can see that the nickel is now being coated with layers of gold. Hence, I said at the beginning” It’s not all that glitters is Gold”.
SYMBOLIC NATURE OF GOLD
GOLD is one of the transitional element in the periodic table. Its symbol is Au, right below Silver. It has platinum on its left and Mercury. It has an Electronegativity value of zero just like the other element in the same period. I just think the periodic tables of element is beautifully arranged in all ramification. Gold is what can be regarded in law as a “PRIMA FACAE EVIDENCE” An evidence that speaks for itself. Its presence commands a lot of Authority, respect and honour. These special attributes, does come with a cost. Hence the saying “No pain no gain” gold must go through a rigorous process of purification (a hot burning furnace) for these shining metal piece to come to existence. A replica of these process can be seen in the purification of metals through an Electrolytic cell where this time around we may make use of impure copper and pure copper. The pure copper is placed at the negative terminal (Cathode) of the electrolytic cell where Reduction occurs and the impure copper is placed at the positive terminal (Anode) where Oxidation occurs. The impure copper losses its impurity as electrons move towards the Cathode and then the purification process begins. This is somehow a very simplified version of what Gold passes through to achieve its status. When the purification process is complete Gold simply becomes a unique piece of metals, every other metal want to be like.
Gold is associated with love, compassion, strength, wealth, stability, control, courage, passion, commitment, fame, glamour, unity and above all prosperity. No wonder the symbol of the bitcoin is golden, you may sum up the reason yourself why this is so.
CONCLUSION
Just like gold, no one wants to be like it before its purification process, but when the purification process is done, everything and everyone wants to steal the image of this priceless piece of metal. According to Aristotle “there’s no general principle that can be formed against human” so we cannot generalize our point of view when dealing with human beings. Each person is entitled to his or her own opinion, right or wrong, that’s how that individual sees things from his or her own perspective. Steemit is a lovely platform where a whole lot of positive things happen. We cannot rule out the fact that there’s going to be an atom of negativity on this platform. Earn your way to the top and don’t rush your way to the top. Look before you leap and think twice before you make those transfers no matter how little they might seems to be. Little drops of water would eventually make a mighty ocean. So WATCH IT before you DO IT. Because not all that glitters is gold.
APPRECIATION
Thank you so much for taking your time to go through this post, please leave a comment and suggestion in areas where you deemed fit. That will go a long way in bringing out the best in me and you would have sowed in me just as I hope to have sowed in you with this post.