You find a yellow rock and wonder if it is gold. how could you apply the scientific method to this problem

The scientific method approach to answer and explain any natural event or phenomenon.  

The method involves various steps which involves making observations, ask a scientific question, do background research, propose a hypothesis, perform experiments, collecting the data, analyzing the data and suggest conclusions in the sequence.

In the given question, the scientific method will be applied in the same way by doing background research, predicting and proposing a hypothesis, and performing the experiments to prove and disprove the hypothesis. The collected data will be analysed and conclusions will show whether the yellow rock is gold or not.