Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. It is a chemical element with the symbol Au (aurum in Latin, meaning glow of sunrise) and atomic number 79. It has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements solid under standard conditions.