# 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:** 8
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/61 "2016-02-26T20:46:57Z")
> [@yabob](#):
>
> Cf is a strong neutron emitter, and hazardous in microgram quantities, so I leave it as an exercise for others as to how exactly you are going to DISPLAY this wonderful sphere.
Just above the ‘No Solicitors’ sign on my front door? 😉
Hey, I live in Minnesota. Friends and family know you come to the back door!
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/62 "2016-02-26T20:52:25Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> A semi can carry about 22 tons. That copper ball is about 239 tons. What kind of heavy lifting equipment can move that?
You don’t need heavy lifting equipment. Just a really big cue stick.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/63 "2016-02-26T20:57:17Z")
> [@dougie\_monty](#):
>
> Converted to troy or avoirdupois, the platinum and gold spheres will weigh between 50 and 60 pounds. How would you like to carry that around?
If you’re letting me have it, I will carry it in whatever manner needed and as far as I have to.
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### Author:  [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/64 "2016-02-26T21:01:38Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#):
>
> A semi can carry about 22 tons. That copper ball is about 239 tons. What kind of heavy lifting equipment can move that?
[Caterpillar 797](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_797)… at least when you [get it in there](http://fieldlens.com/blog/building-better/biggest-cranes/).
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/65 "2016-02-26T21:01:41Z")
> [@Sasquatch](#):
>
> The density of gold is one of those things that Hollywood gets wrong more often than not.
A nice little throwaway scene in “Die Hard With A Vengeance,” which involves a heist of a gold reserve, is when Samuel L. Jackson’s character decides to take one for himself and first picks up a gold bar; he visibly lurches and exclaims “Damn… this IS heavy!” When he carries it Jackson acts as if it’s hard to lift.
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### Author:  [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/66 "2016-02-26T21:13:27Z")
> [@Sasquatch](#):
>
> The density of gold is one of those things that Hollywood gets wrong more often than not. A bar of gold is way heavier than lead even. Big bars of gold are not something a person easily picks up, or sticks a dozen of in a backpack and walks away.
Three Kings got in a solid attempt at this - their first attempt at hauling the gold bars away results in their bags ripping apart.
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### Author:  [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/67 "2016-02-26T22:12:48Z")
How big would a million dollar steel sphere be? It is much cheaper per pound than copper.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [February 26, 2016, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-sphere-of-copper-silver-gold-or-platinum-could-you-have-for-one-million-dollars/746752/68 "2016-02-26T22:16:54Z")
> [@boffking](#):
>
> How big would a million dollar steel sphere be? It is much cheaper per pound than copper.
About 14000 tons or 200 heavy tanks.
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