We have another substance at hand with a great tendency to form negative ions. This is the oxygen of the air. In the presence of water, the molecule of oxygen, O2, tends to assume the ionic state, combining with water to form four negatively electrified ions, thus: O2 (±) + 2H2O (±) = 4 (OH) … Continue reading How Air’s Oxygen Makes Gold to Dissolve in Cyanide