A compound is a substance made up of two or more elements that have been chemically bonded together. Examples include water (H2O), table salt and baking soda.
Compounds are defined as substances consisting of 2 or more different types of elements in a fixed ratio by mass, forming strong bonds between them that require significant energy to break apart. They are also known by their chemical formula, which shows the number of atoms for each element.
an alloy of gold and tin is a compound
The combination of the metals gold and tin, with their varying proportions, produces a series of solid solutions which have properties intermediate between those of the pure metals. These are homogeneous, malleable, soft, and ductile, and are suitable for the making of trial-plates. They are not, however, suitable for coinage as they are brittle and prone to conchoidal fracture.
Electrum is an alloy of silver and gold which occurs naturally, with the proportion of silver ranging from 15 to 35 per cent. Among the ancients it was often used as an ornament, although the addition of copper to it made it a less lustrous alloy. It is a pale yellowish metallic colour, and can be produced artificially.
Alloys of gold and tin are readily prepared by precipitation from solution, as for example by placing a plate of gold in a solution containing a zinc salt. The result is a black, spongy compound of gold and zinc; also by shaking with solutions containing cadmium salts a gold-cadmium and a zinc slime are obtained.
