How Does Aqua Regia Dissolve Gold and Platinum?

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Clips from old videos featured in this one:

Gold Chemical Resistance

Platinum Chemical Resistance

Platinum bar dissolving in Aqua Regia

Dissolve Platinum with chlorine gas

[NurdRage]

So this video is very different then most of my videos, rather than showing how to do something, i talk about why something happens. Do you guys like the format? Is my presentation technique okay? A lot of times, expaining why something is requires a very different style and approach then showing how to do something.

On a different note, this video had a funny origin: I was originally just trying to demonstrate dissolving platinum with electricity. Then during the video i answered why it worked with hydrochloric acid, but not sulfuric. Then i realized people would ask why it wouldn't work with nitric acid, and answered that. Then i anticipated that people would ask whether it would work with gold. Eventually, the whole video morphed into this long lesson about how all the acids interact in aqua regia. So i changed it from "dissolve platinum with electricity" to "How does aqua regia dissolve gold and platinum"

[antozon]

In Germany, even at the university level, it is still being taught that the chlorine in aqua regia is in a 'nascent state' and that's why it can dissolve gold - same thing with hydrogen and dissolving-metal reductions. It's so frustrating to be taught a theory over a hundred years out of date! Even on wikipedia the english article states it is an obsolete theory while the german article acts as though it's still totally accurate. Thank you for correctly explaining the real reason in this video.

[lithiumlight]

Babe wake up, NurdRage's dropped another video.

[baylog]

I used to watch these videos like every day when I was in highschool back when you were making glow sticks and Nuka cola bottles and I completely forgot about this channel but it's really good to see you're still making videos to educate people and show them how cool chemistry actually is

[Osirus]

I am sitting in an assay lab at a palladium mine watching this video. I have samples digesting right now using aqau regia. Nice to now know how it all comes together. Great video. Cheers!

[Turbochargedtwelve]

The mechanisms are quite fascinating, ive always found it easier to remember why something is than just the fact. Understanding is the best way to learn.

[gabrielbr]

3:00 "we also would be dead" that me laugh surprisinglytoo much.

[stormrunner]

Have a good New Year NurdRage. I’ve been checking out screetips, refining his old jewelry. Like your mind reader. Cheers.

[markbell]

Thanks: A couple of years ago while working on my Wife's car (a used car) I found a mans gold band ring under the carpet. 'So go to the Pawn Shop; NO!' I reacted it with Aqua Regia and made a few grams of chloroauric acid, did several HCl boilings to get rid of the nitric acid and vacuum dried it. Now I have some nice canary yellow crystal. How can life be any better, Cheers, Mark
PS: Keep plugging

[MuzikBike]

One demonstration I'd like to see is gold in aqua regia compared with silver in aqua regia. Given how aqua regia attacks gold, despite it being particularly un reactive, it'd be easy to assume that it'd react with silver even more violently, but that ultimately isn't the case due to the presence of chloride. It'd be another fun demo of chemistry's rock-paper-scissors nature.

[masongauthier]

Almost can’t believe I’ve been watching your videos for a decade now and there still perfect

[vandahm]

This is the best science channel on YouTube. I'm glad to see you back again!

[tinker-neer]

Welcome back, hope your life stabilised and you will find joy in sharing projects with us again!

[lethal]

Would have been nice to also hear about Mercury, and it's ability to eat gold, and then be able to distil off the Mercury.

[lowerclasswarfare]

This format is great. I'd be completely happy to watch more like this.

[maxog]

I would love to see NurdRage Collab with NileRed one day. The chemical chaos the world needs.

[AndreLourencoIVB]

So happy you are not gone! Been a while since last time Youtube recommended me a video of yours.

[redneckchemist]

Great video. You can actually use the Nernst Equation (E=E°-(RT/nF)lnQ) and a simple table of reduction potentials for the two reactions you show at 0:56 to calculate what concentrations of HCl and HNO3 are required to dissolve platinum and gold. At even somewhat dilute (less than 1M) concentrations, it becomes non-spontaneous.

[scraptactics]

The format is great and presentation is perfect!👍

[indeedItdoes]

Great video. Nice to see you back.
I really like this format,