Immediately after a person has his or her ears (or other body parts) pierced, a solid 14K gold post should be used to keep the hole open as it heals.

(a) Explain why solid gold is preferred over other metals, such as steel.

(b) Why do you think that a gold-plated steel post might not offer the same protection as the solid gold post?

(c) Surgical steel is often used as the metal post in a newly pierced ear because it is less expensive than gold. Using the Internet or other resources, find the composition of surgical steel.