Question

Assertion: Gold chloride $(AuC{l_3})$ solution cannot be stored in a vessel made of copper, iron, nickel, chromium, zinc or tin.
Reason: Gold is a very precious metal
A.Both assertion and reason are correct and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
B.Both assertion and reason are correct but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
C.Assertion is correct but reason is incorrect
D.Assertion is incorrect but reason is correct.

Answer 1

Gold is a very precious metal of group 11. It is solid under normal conditions and is known as a transition metal which is one of the least reactive elements. In the reactivity series it is placed at the bottom of the series and thus, can be displaced by any reactive metal.

Complete step by step answer:
As we know that gold is one of the most precious metals and is an element of group 11. It is represented by the symbol $Au$ and has atomic number 79. It is solid under normal conditions. It is known as the transition element and is one of the least reactive elements. The reactivity series is a series of metals arranged in the decreasing order of their reactivity as we move down the series. Gold is placed at the bottom of the series as it is a very less reactive metal. Gold is not a rare metal but it is a very difficult task to extract gold in large quantities and thus it is a precious metal.
Gold is a very reflective metal and heavy. It is soft, ductile and a malleable metal which is a good conductor of electricity and heat and is corrosion resistant. Gold has very high melting and boiling points as compared to other metals and this is because of its resistance and conductivity towards heat. It has efficient chemical stability against oxidation and has higher reduction potential.
In the above question gold chloride $(AuC{l_3})$ solution cannot be stored in a vessel made of copper, iron, nickel, chromium, zinc or tin because of its very less reactive behaviour it is placed at the bottom of the reactivity series and thus all the more reactive metals placed at top of it in the reactivity series can easily

displace it from its compound and thus, gold chloride solution cannot be stored in vessels made of more reactive metals than gold.
And gold is indeed a very precious metal as discussed. Therefore we conclude that the assertion and reason given in the question are correct but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
So, the correct option is (B) Both assertion and reason are correct but reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.

Note: Gold is extracted from its ores using a toxic primary reagent for processing an efficient amount of gold called sodium cyanide which is very toxic. It is a very tedious task of extracting gold in large amounts. According to surveys, all cell phones contain gold in a negligible amount. Platinum is the least reactive metal.