Gfyuki

I have my eyes on this new Porsche but all I have is an unlimited supply of ice and a molecular distillery. How can I convert this ice into gold?

The molecular distillery can disassemble and reassemble the molecules in any item but cannot add new molecules from nowhere not existing in whatever you put into it. For example, if you put in only Helium you cannot get out Platinum.

Thanks in advance

Molecules are formed by atoms. Each atom is of a type (element).

Gold is an element.

Water is formed by the elements hydrogen and oxygen.

You cannot combine oxygen and hydrogen in molecules to create gold.

To create gold atoms from oxygen and/or hydrogen atoms you need to "change" the atoms to a different element, and that requires nuclear reactions.

According to the National Ocean Service, our oceans hold some 20 million pounds of gold, suspended in normal seawater. But this gold is spread throughout the normal mineral content of seawater to the tune of “parts per trillion.” As the NOAA puts it, “Each liter of seawater contains, on average, about 13 billionths of a gram of gold.”.

So all you need to do is spend a few years filtering the rim of the south pole. It will take about 20 billion liters of seawater to get enojgh gold to craft a ring. It will cost millions in electricity as well.

You can get gold much faster by getting a job.

Well, you've explicitly stated "For example, if you put in only Helium you cannot get out Platinum." By the same token, therefore, you cannot only put in hydrogen and oxygen (ice) and get out gold.

Therefore, let's get creative. Depending on how the machine works (whether it obeys the conservation of energy, for instance, or has a source of energy otherwise inaccessible to you, and whether it can rearrange atoms, or merely molecules), you could:

1. Arrange the hydrogen and oxygen atoms into stable sturdy solids with convenient handwavy properties (asserted for narrative purposes to exist), arranged in a manner forming an atomic distillery capable of converting ice to gold. (Depends on the machine producing structures, and not just substances. Also depends on having plans for an atomic distillery.)


2. Convert the ice to hydrogen and oxygen, burn it for energy (forming water again), and sell the energy. (Depends on needing no energy; violates law of conservation of energy.)


3. Convert CO2 from the air into solid carbon and gaseous oxygen (or bind the oxygen to st else). Sell the service as an anti-global-warming approach. (Requires the ability to process massive amounts of gas, or really shady and tricky marketing.)


4. Find an expensive compound made of cheap materials and sell that. (Assumes few people have one of these machines.)


5. Rent out the machine for INSANE amounts of money. (Assumes modern-day world.)

Just some ideas.

You use the Dwarven Press process (TM). Now, while that is exclusively to turn lead to gold, the theory is the same.

Go to the busiest municipalities, and offer to deal with their trash for a nominal figure, much lower than any other competitor. They fall over themselves to give you the deal and claim that they've saved millions in the budget.

You set up your distillery at some point close to your clients to minimise transport costs. Make sure your zoning permits etc. are all compliant. Possibly set up multiple distilleries, if you have the technology, to avoid bureaucratic tangles, e.g., checks at international borders.

Convert the trash into something useful, e.g., fertiliser, metal ingots, plastic pellets. Sell at a profit. Buy DeBeers. Start producing and selling diamonds.

Buy your Porsche, or gold, as preferred.