# What size sphere of copper, silver, gold or platinum could you have for one million dollars?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 21, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752 "2016-02-21T23:43:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/21 "2016-02-22T20:11:06Z")
> [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](#):
>
> At work we rolled around 3000 kg paper reels easily with just one guy, a perfect sphere weighting 2000 kg shouldn’t be much harder to move as long as you have a surface that can stand it (and that might be tricky for a sphere). Copper on the other hand I wouldn’t even try moving around.
Not 2000 Kg, we’re talking 200 THOUSAND Kg. You’re off by a factor of 1000.
To put this in perspective, an adult bull African elephant tops out at about 6000 Kg, so we’re looking at rolling around the equivalent of 36 large elephants.
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### Author:  [@AndrewL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndrewL)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/22 "2016-02-22T20:24:33Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> Not 2000 Kg, we’re talking 200 THOUSAND Kg. You’re off by a factor of 1000.
>
> To put this in perspective, an adult bull African elephant tops out at about 6000 Kg, so we’re looking at rolling around the equivalent of 36 large elephants.
He was talking about the silver sphere, which is about 2000kg, and should roll on a reasonably strong floor. Moving the copper sphere is going to take heavy lifting equipment.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/23 "2016-02-22T20:28:42Z")
> [@AndrewL](#):
>
> Getting the copper sphere from the foundry to your display site will be a major undertaking. Trucks capable of carrying 200+ ton loads do exist, but you’ll need to carefully plan out the route to avoid most bridges, and you’ll need a large crane to move it from the truck to a heavily reinforced support pad that it’ll rest on. You’re probably safe from anyone trying to steal it however.
Probably simpler to bring the foundry to site and cast the thing in situ.
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### Author:  [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/24 "2016-02-22T20:35:15Z")
At least he didn’t ask about aluminum - about 1/3 the price of copper, and less than 1/3 the density. 3 times the weight, around 10 times the volume, for a sphere a bit more than twice the diameter.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/25 "2016-02-22T21:05:13Z")
Good thing the guy’s rich. We’re gonna need a bigger house for that one. 25 foot ceilings are tall even for hotel lobbies.
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/26 "2016-02-22T21:16:30Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#):
>
> The Canadian mint in Ottawa has on display a million dollar gold coin. It is chained down (and doubtless alarmed too) and you are allowed to lift it if you can. If you are interested in industrial processes, the mint is interesting to visit.
The million is only the face value, though (not that face value means a whole lot for a non-circulating ‘because we fucking can, that’s why’ display item). The actual value of the gold in the coin (100kg of 99.9999% pure gold) is actually closer to 2.5 million (though it was probably closer to the face when it was struck a few years ago).
Judging from that coin, the 5’ (and 100lb) ball sounds about right for the gold.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/27 "2016-02-22T21:20:18Z")
> [@AndrewL](#):
>
> He was talking about the silver sphere, which is about 2000kg, and should roll on a reasonably strong floor. Moving the copper sphere is going to take heavy lifting equipment.
Gotcha. The silver sphere is like a smallish female elephant, more plausible. 🙂
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/28 "2016-02-22T21:32:15Z")
2000kg is pretty much the weight of a big pickup truck.
On a hard floor the rolling resistance of a smooth sphere will be a lot less than the rolling resistance of 4 rubber pickup tires with brakes slightly dragging, differentials turning, etc.
Two ordinary guys can readily push a pickup. One strong guy can push it a little ways.
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### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/29 "2016-02-22T21:33:47Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> Good thing the guy’s rich. We’re gonna need a bigger house for that one. 25 foot ceilings are tall even for hotel lobbies.
For that one we may have to just make an array of 8 12 foot spheres, or even 64 6 foot ones, we wouldn’t want to to be \*too \* ostentatious after all
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### Author:  [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/30 "2016-02-22T22:23:34Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#):
>
> Gold ball = 5 1/3 inches in diameter
That would make a damned expensive cannon ball.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/31 "2016-02-22T22:35:47Z")
@ **Wolfman** : Here’s a picture of a large aluminum sphere in a large house: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Echo#/media/File:Echo_II.jpg)
Looks nice to me; a bunch of smaller ones would be so low-class by comparison. 😃
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### Author:  [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/32 "2016-02-22T22:49:47Z")
If I did go mad and suddenly want a 200 ton copper sphere, are there many places that could make one? I know that there’s foundries that that can press iron structures of that order weight-wise, but a sphere?
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/33 "2016-02-22T22:56:48Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#):
>
> If I did go mad and suddenly want a 200 ton copper sphere, are there many places that could make one? I know that there’s foundries that that can press iron structures of that order weight-wise, but a sphere?
Just get a lot of copper really hot and roll it around while it cools. That’s how I make a sphere from Play-Doh.
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### Author:  [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/34 "2016-02-22T23:15:43Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> @ **Wolfman** : Here’s a picture of a large aluminum sphere in a large house: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Echo#/media/File:Echo_II.jpg)
>
> Looks nice to me; a bunch of smaller ones would be so low-class by comparison. 😃
Ohh sure. The naysayers and single giant metal sphere purists will take their shots now , but the tables will turn when I realize my hour-and-a-half-long dream of making a rolling ball clock…
> **[Idle-Tyme. The Original Rolling Ball Clock](https://www.idle-tyme.com/)**
>
> The Original Rolling Ball Clock Is
> Back. You Can now buy new clocks from the original inventor &
> manufacturer of this wonderful timepiece
out of 64 6 foot solid aluminum spheres!
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/35 "2016-02-22T23:23:40Z")
Would a $1million sphere of Plutonium 238 or U235 be critical? I’m too lazy to look things up and do maths.
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### Author:  [@Mogle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mogle)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2016, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/36 "2016-02-22T23:43:36Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#):
>
> Would a $1million sphere of Plutonium 238 or U235 be critical? I’m too lazy to look things up and do maths.
Cursory googling suggest that the price of plutonium is in the ballpark of $4000/g, so one million dollars would get us a couple of hundred grams, I doubt [sup]235[/sup]U would be much cheaper.
According to wikipedia, [critical mass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_mass#Critical_mass_of_a_bare_sphere) of [sup]238[/sup]Pu is 9-10 kg, and 52 kg for [sup]235[/sup]U.
So $1M would get us nowhere close to critical.
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### Author:  [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2016, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/37 "2016-02-23T00:02:47Z")
> [@AndrewL](#):
>
> Using your cost per troy oz, 1 million dollars will get you:
>
> 810.7 Troy oz, or 25.215kg of Gold
> 64892.9 Troy oz, or 2018.4Kg of Silver
> 1053.74 Troy oz, or 32.775Kg of Platinum
> 6974959.89 Troy oz, or 216945.665Kg of Copper
>
> Gold has a density of 19.32 grams per cubic centimeter, so you have 1305.155 cubic centimeters of gold. This makes a sphere 13.559 centimeters across.
>
> Silver has a density of 10.49 grams per cubic centimeter, so you have 2018397.144 cubic centimeters of gold, which makes a sphere 156.796 centimeters across
>
> Platinum has a density of 21.45 grams per cubic centimeter, so you have 1527.973 cubic centimeters of platinum, which makes a sphere 14.29 centimeters across
>
> Copper has a density of 8.96 grams per cubic centimeter, so you have 24212685.83 cubic centimeters of copper, which makes a sphere 358.934 centimeters across.
In other words, mounting the silver or copper on the wall ain’t gonna happen.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/38 "2016-02-23T02:17:50Z")
> [@wolfman](#):
>
> Ohh sure. The naysayers and single giant metal sphere purists will take their shots now , but the tables will turn when I realize my hour-and-a-half-long dream of making a rolling ball clock…
> [http://www.idle-tyme.com/](http://www.idle-tyme.com/)
> out of 64 6 foot solid aluminum spheres!
I’m sure you could charge admission to let people watch it in action. I know I’d gladly pay. That’d be so cool!
Noisy too. Big meaty clunks from the 24" cross-section wooden beams and the umpteen hundred pound balls.
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### Author:  [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/39 "2016-02-23T03:28:06Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> Just get a lot of copper really hot and roll it around while it cools. That’s how I make a sphere from Play-Doh.
[ul][li]Forging temperature of copper: 900 C[_]Temperature change from room temperature: ≈ 880 C[_]Specific heat of copper: 385 J/kg/°C[\*]Amount of energy required to get this ball up to said temperature: Q = m c ∆T = 7.34 x 10[sup]10[/sup] joules ≈ 20 mega-watt hours.[/ul][/li]For reference, this is about [double the average monthly household energy usage in the US.](https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.cfm?id=97&t=3) So you’re going to have a pretty big electric bill that month.
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2016, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/40 "2016-02-23T03:30:31Z")
> [@AndrewL](#):
>
> He was talking about the silver sphere, which is about 2000kg, and should roll on a reasonably strong floor. Moving the copper sphere is going to take heavy lifting equipment.
A semi can carry about 22 tons. That copper ball is about 239 tons. What kind of heavy lifting equipment can move that?
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