plank 1: each sheet, 16 × 32 = 512 elements, −+−+ as a chessboard. every element holds one charge, +1 or −1, and every neighbour it touches is the opposite sign, so each sheet is 976 + to − bonds and nets to zero. plank 0: the gold core. every gold atom is the same: one loose outer electron (6s¹), one hand to hold. the 256 + tips of each sheet reach into the gold. bond lets each tip take one gold atom's electron: the tip's + is paid off, the gold atom becomes Au⁺. at full bond the core is +512 and each sheet −256. total charge stays 0, but it's now split into layers, like a capacitor. ground PEWTER.