Difference Between Gold and Brass

August 2022 · 5 minute read

Main Difference

The main difference between Gold and Brass is that gold in its purest forms is a very dense metal whereas Brass is not a pure metal but an alloyed metal, a combination of copper and zinc metals.

Gold Vs. Brass

Metal is a solid material which is generally hard, malleable, fusible, shiny and ductile, with good thermal and electrical conductivity. In the Periodic Table, nearly 75% of all the elements are classified as metals. For example, gold, copper, zinc, aluminum, silver, iron, lead, platinum, and uranium. Gold and brass are the metals which are known for their bright yellow appearance, but there are a lot of differences among them. Gold is a pure metal and is very dense in this form, but brass is not a pure metal, it is an alloyed metal and is a combination of two metals (copper and zinc). Gold is a rare metal, quite expensive and is one of the precious metals, but brass has none of the above properties. Gold does not rust, whereas brass is susceptible to rusting. But brass can be made corrosion resistant and stronger by the addition of Aluminium. To check whether an object is gold or not, we perform a test which is known as the acid test, in which we put a drop of nitric acid on the object which is being tested. If the object is pure gold, then there will be no reaction. Otherwise, if the reaction occurs, then it will usually signify other substances like brass or gold plating.

Comparison Chart

GoldBrass
Gold in its purest forms is a very dense metal.Brass is not a pure metal but an alloyed metal, a combination of copper and zinc metals.
Appearance
Gold is a metal which is known for its bright yellow appearance.Brass is a metal which is also known for its bright yellow color.
Rusting
Gold is the metal that does not show rusting.Brass is that alloyed metal which shows rusting.
Oxidation Reaction
Gold does not exhibit oxidation reaction.Brass undergoes oxidation reaction.
Marking of Ceramic Gold
Ceramic gold will be marked by gold.Ceramic gold will not be marked by brass.
Density
Gold is a metal which has more density than the brass.Brass is the metal which has less density than the gold.
Purity Rating
Gold has a purity rating (carat or karat rating) that signifies the purity of gold. Pure gold is 24 karats (24K) gold.There is no purity rating for brass.
Magnetic Attraction
Gold is the kind of metals that are not attracted by a magnet.Brass is attracted by the magnet.
Reaction with Acids
Most of the acids do not react with gold.Brass reacts with the vast majority of the acids.
Melting point
The melting point of gold is higher than the brass.Brass has a lower melting point than gold.
Price
Gold is a quite expensive metal.Brass is cheap as compared to gold.
Used as Currency
Gold can be used as a currency for currency investing and trading.Brass cannot be used as currency.
Usage
Gold is heavily used in the jewelry industry.Brass is mostly used in the ornamental and instrumental industries.

What is Gold?

Gold is a precious and expensive metal and is rare in nature. Its name is typically synonymous with prestige, wealth or quality. It has a bright yellow appearance and is known for plasticity (its ability to be formed and shaped without fracture). The chemical symbol of gold is Au, and it is categorized as a transition metal. Gold is found in nature in a combined state or as a free metal. The inertness of the gold has made it expensive metal and to be used in industries for the making of jewelry. To describe how valuable gold is, there is a council on it to look over its production and value.

What is Brass?

Brass is not a pure metal but an alloyed metal, a combination of copper and zinc metals. We can produce different varieties of brass by varying the amount of zinc and copper mixed. It has a gold-like appearance and is yellow, so it is generally used in decorations. Brass shows germicidal and antimicrobial properties (damaging the structural membrane of bacteria) due to the presence of copper. Brass has another phenomenal property of acoustics. That is the reason, many musical instruments like trombone, tuba cornet, horn, trumpet, etc are made of brass.

Key Differences

  • Gold in its purest forms is a very dense metal, whereas, brass is not a pure metal but an alloyed metal, a combination of copper and zinc metals.
  • Gold is the metal that does not show rusting; on the other hand, brass is that alloyed metal which shows rusting.
  • Gold does not exhibit oxidation reaction. Conversely, brass undergoes oxidation reaction.
  • Ceramic gold will be marked by the gold, while, ceramic gold will not be marked by brass.
  • Gold is a metal which has more density than the brass, on the flip side, brass is the metal which has less density than the gold.
  • Gold has a purity rating (carat or karat rating) that signifies the purity of gold. Pure gold is 24 karats (24K) gold; on the other hand, there is no purity rating for brass.
  • Gold is the kind of metals that are not attracted by a magnet, while, brass is attracted by a magnet.
  • Most of the acids do not react with gold; on the other hand, brass reacts with the vast majority of the acids.
  • The melting point of gold is higher than the brass. Conversely, brass has a lower melting point than the gold.
  • Gold is a quite expensive metal; on the flip side, brass is cheap as compared to gold.
  • Gold can be used as a currency for currency investing and trading, whereas brass cannot be used as currency.
  • Gold is heavily used in the jewelry industry; on the other hand, brass is mostly used in the ornamental and instrumental industries.
  • Conclusion

    From the above discussion, it is summarized that although gold and brass have almost the same appearances, there are a lot of differences among them. Gold is mostly used in making jewelry, but brass is used in the ornamental and instrumental industries.

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