Question

would adding a proton or taking a proton away from gold nucleus mean it is more finacially valuable

i think it would make it less valuable am i right or not, because you are reducing its state
Helen

Maybe but I think you are using the wrong criterion.
Gold is Au. The atomic number is 79. We won't worry about the mass.

₇₉Au ==>₁P + _zzX^ww

OR

₇₉Au + ₁P ==> _zzX^ww

The idea here is to make the two sides add up. Then look at a periodic table to determine what X is in each case. Knowing the element will tell you which is more valuable. In the second case, 79 + 1 = 80 so the atomic number (zz here) is 80 and that is mercury (Hg). I will leave the first one for you to do but it should come as no surprise that if you add 1 to 79 you get 80 and if you subtract 1 from 79 you get ?? and ?? is what element?

thanks i get
79 Au + 1P ---> 80 Hg mercury

79 Au - 1P ----> 78 Pt Platinum

I would say that by taking away the one proton it would make gold more financially better as platinum is more expensive than gold. Am I right? with the explanation