A man went door to door posing as a goldsmith. He promised to bring back the glitter of old and dull gold ornaments. An unsuspecting lady gave a set of gold bangles to him which he dipped in a particular solution. The bangles sparkled like new but their weight was reduced drastically. The lady was upset but after a futile argument the man beat a hasty retreat. Can you play the detective to find out the nature of the solution he had used?

The solution used by the man to bring back the glitter of the old and dull gold bangles is likely to be a corrosive and fuming liquid. This is because the solution was able to dissolve the gold and reduce its weight drastically. It is important to note that such a solution is one of the few reagents that can dissolve gold and platinum. Aqua regia, a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated nitric acid, is an example of such a solution.

p. 8 (52-63)
p. 8 (1-52)