Andy Bellflower, age 13 of Pamplico, South Carolina, for his question:

What is the value of platinum?

The price of platinum is about $80 an ounce, which makes it more than twice as costly as gold. Some years ago its market price was $170 an ounce but it became cheaper as more deposits were found and mined. Platinum has all the features required to qualify as a precious and very valuable metal.

It has the gleaming beauty of silver but unlike silver it does not tarnish in the air. Most strong acids do not harm it. It is tough and durable but readily mixed with other metals to form super hard alloys. It resists high temperatures and has unusual chemical properties that make it useful in the lab. Best of all; platinum can be modeled and molded almost as easily as gold. For this reason, it is popular in jewelry settings for diamonds and other precious stones.