Fool’s gold is called Fool’s Gold because it fools people! The fake gold looks like gold but is worthless! Many people mistake this mineral for gold because of its shininess and yellowish color. During the gold rush many people went west to find gold but found Pyrite, another name for Fool’s Gold.  People can tell that Fool’s Gold is Pyrite because it can’t be scratched by a fingernail, but gold can. Gold has no smell while Pyrite will smell like rotten eggs when hit by a hammer. Pyrite is named after the Greek word puritēs which means ”on fire” because it will cause a spark when hit by something harder than it.  So the next time you go looking for gold don’t let Fool’s Gold fool you! 

Gold: A soft metal that is rare and valuable.

Pyrite:A hard mineral that is often mistaken for gold.

The Gold Rush: In the mid 1800s, thousands of people went west to find gold.