Period 6 element also dissolves in alkaline solutions of cyanide, which have been used in mining. Gold dissolves in mercury, forming amalgam alloys. Gold is insoluble in nitric acid, which dissolves silver and base metals, a property that has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, giving rise to the term "the acid test." Gold has been a valuable and highly sought-after precious metal for coinage, jewelry, and other arts since long before the beginning of recorded history. Gold standards have been a common basis for monetary policies throughout human history, later being supplanted by fiat currency starting in
Acetoacetic acid colour change is graded by eye. The test does not measure β-hydroxybutyrate, the most abundant ketone in the body; during treatment of ketoacidosis β-hydroxybutyrate is converted to acetoacetate so the test is not useful after treatment begins and may be falsely low at diagnosis. Similar tests are used in dairy cows to test for ketosis. Acetoacetic acid Acetoacetic acid (also diacetic acid) is the organic compound with the formula CHCOCHCOOH. It is the simplest beta-keto acid group, and like other members of this class, it is unstable. The methyl and ethyl esters, which are quite stable, are produced on a