Why do Olympic winners bite their medals?
Ever wondered why Olympic winners bite their medals?
This quirky tradition actually stems from a historical practice of testing the authenticity of gold. By biting into the metal, one could check for purity, as real gold is soft and would leave bite marks. Today, it’s more of a playful photo opportunity, symbolizing the athletes’ triumph and adding a bit of fun to their moment of glory, while giving photographers a perfect shot to make the front page.
Gold is soft due to its atomic structure. It is a metal with a face-centered cubic crystal structure, which allows atoms to slide past each other relatively easily. This property makes gold malleable and ductile, meaning it can be hammered into thin sheets and drawn into wires without breaking. Additionally, gold has fewer delocalized electrons compared to other metals, resulting in weaker metallic bonds and contributing to its softness. This softness is why pure gold is often alloyed with other metals to increase its hardness and durability for practical uses, such as in jewelry and coins.
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