Hey there! Have you ever seen athletes biting their Olympic medals and wondered why they do that? It might seem strange, but there’s an interesting story behind it. Let’s dive into the world of Olympic medals and find out if they’re really made of gold!
So, why do athletes bite their medals? This practice comes from a time when people used to bite gold to test its authenticity. Gold is a soft metal, and you can actually leave a mark on it with your teeth. On the Mohs hardness scale, which measures how hard a mineral is, gold scores a 2.5, while your tooth enamel scores a 5. This means your teeth can scratch pure gold. However, Olympic medals aren’t exactly what they seem.
In ancient Greece, winners didn’t receive medals at all. Instead, they were crowned with a wreath of olive branches. When the modern Olympics began in 1896, winners received silver medals because silver was more valuable than gold at the time. The first gold medals were given out at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, but it wasn’t until 1908 in London that the familiar gold, silver, and bronze system was established.
Here’s the surprising part: Olympic gold medals aren’t solid gold. They contain only about six grams of gold. The rest is mostly silver, making up 92.5% of the medal, with a bit of copper mixed in. This means the gold medal is only about 1.45% gold! Silver medals are mostly silver, and bronze medals are made from a mix of copper, tin, and a little zinc.
Gold is super expensive, and cities hosting the Olympics have to buy the materials to make these medals. For example, if all the medals at the 2012 London Olympics were solid gold, they would have cost around 40 million dollars! Instead, the medals are mostly symbolic, representing the hard work and dedication of the athletes.
Even though they’re not made of solid gold, Olympic medals can still be worth a lot. A gold medal from the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey team sold for over $310,000 at an auction! But for athletes, the true value of the medal is in the glory and recognition of their achievements, not its monetary worth.
Does it surprise you that Olympic medals aren’t what they seem? Would you prefer if winners received olive branches like in ancient times? Let us know your thoughts, and enjoy the excitement of the Olympics!
Try a fun experiment to understand why athletes bite their medals. Use a piece of chocolate wrapped in gold foil to simulate a gold medal. Gently bite it and observe the marks left by your teeth. Discuss why real gold would show similar marks and what this tells us about the softness of gold.
Create a timeline that shows the evolution of Olympic medals from ancient Greece to the present day. Include key changes, such as the introduction of silver medals in 1896 and the gold, silver, and bronze system in 1908. Use drawings or digital tools to make your timeline visually appealing.
Research the composition of Olympic medals and create a pie chart to represent the materials used in gold, silver, and bronze medals. Present your findings to the class and explain why certain materials are used instead of others.
Participate in a class debate on whether Olympic medals should be made of solid gold or remain symbolic. Consider the cost, tradition, and the true value of the medals. Form teams and present arguments for both sides before voting on the most convincing perspective.
Imagine you are tasked with designing a new Olympic medal. Consider the materials, design, and symbolism you would incorporate. Draw your design and write a short explanation of your choices. Share your creation with the class and discuss the importance of symbolism in awards.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
**OLYMPICS OLYMPICS OLYMPICS OLYMPICS.** Everybody’s talking about it. Or maybe I’m just talking about it a lot lately, but what about those medals? Are they real gold or what? [Music] Hey guys, Trace here for DNews! Have you ever seen photos of people biting their Olympic medal? As if placing a piece of metal in your mouth after finally achieving sports success wasn’t unusual enough; there’s actually a lot more you’re not seeing.
Firstly, the actual bite is an old practice of collectors, testing the softness of gold by biting it. The Mohs hardness scale measures how hard a mineral is. Enamel on your teeth, for example, scores a 5, but pure gold scores only a 2.5, so your tooth would be able to scratch or dent pure gold. Silver is around 2.7, so you should be able to scratch that too, but the point is — check out how pure this is!
The thing is, Olympic medals are a pretty new tradition. The ancient Greeks placed a wreath of olive branches on the head of the winner. When the Olympics were revived in 1896, the winners of the first Athens Olympics all received silver medals, not because they were cheap, but precisely the opposite. Silver was more precious than gold at the time. First place got silver and second got copper.
During the 1900 Paris Olympics, the medals were rectangular, and in St. Louis in 1904, the first gold medals were awarded! It wasn’t until London’s 1908 medals that gold was awarded for first, silver for second, and bronze for third place. The last actual solid gold medal was awarded in 1912 in Stockholm.
The reality is that gold medals aren’t really solid gold. They contain six grams of gold. The weight of the medals varies from one Olympics to another, as does the size. The International Olympic Committee requires — for fairness, I guess? — that gold and silver medals be made of 92.5% silver, plated with at least 6 grams of gold. Yep, you heard me right. The gold medals are almost all silver, and the part that’s not gold or silver is copper. This means, factoring in the six grams of gold, the medals currently stand at about 1.45% gold and 6% copper.
The silver medals are made of… surprise… more silver. Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper with a touch of zinc added in. The reason the cities don’t use gold anymore is that it’s very expensive! The cities have to purchase the metal to make these medals.
For the London Olympic Games in 2012, the medals weighed 412 grams — for comparison, a can of soda weighs 373 grams. The new Sochi medals will be between 460 and 531 grams depending on the event. So, they might have as little as 1.13% gold. Salt Lake City’s medals were tiny and light, whereas London’s were heavy. But regardless, they are all ceremonial; they’re not going to balance your budget with the precious ingredients.
If London’s medals were all gold, they would have cost around 40 million dollars. If you sold the gold medal for scrap, you’d get about $708, but by contrast, the bronze medal is worth less than five dollars. Yay, third place is still good!
To satisfy the curious, medals do come up for auction once in a while. A gold medal from one of the members of the “Miracle on Ice” team at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics went for over $310,000 four years ago. Long story short, it’s not about their monetary worth — it’s about the glory. Many athletes spend years of training and hard work to earn that medal.
Does it surprise you that the medals aren’t what you think they are? Should we go back to olive branches? Tell us what you think below the video, and thanks for watching. Happy Olympics to you!
Olympic – Relating to the Olympic Games, which are a series of international athletic competitions held every four years. – The Olympic Games bring together athletes from all over the world to compete in various sports.
Medals – Metal awards given to athletes who achieve first, second, or third place in a competition. – Winning medals at the Olympics is a dream for many athletes.
Gold – A precious yellow metal that is highly valued and often used to make first-place medals. – The athlete was thrilled to receive a gold medal for her outstanding performance.
Silver – A shiny grayish-white metal used to make second-place medals and other valuable items. – He proudly wore his silver medal, knowing he had given his best effort.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – Learning about the history of the Olympic Games helps us understand their significance.
Athletes – Individuals who are trained and skilled in physical activities and sports. – The athletes trained for years to compete in the Olympic Games.
Ancient – Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence. – The ancient Olympic Games were held in Greece over two thousand years ago.
Value – The importance, worth, or usefulness of something. – The value of teamwork is emphasized in many Olympic sports.
Copper – A reddish-brown metal used to make third-place medals and other items. – The athlete was happy to earn a copper medal, marking his achievement in the competition.
Tradition – A long-established custom or belief passed down from generation to generation. – Lighting the Olympic flame is a tradition that symbolizes the start of the Games.
