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Copper, Cu

Copper is a transition metal with the symbol Cu that has been used by humans for over 10,000 years. It has high thermal and electrical conductivity and a reddish-orange color. Copper is essential to living organisms and is found in the liver, muscle and bone of humans, who contain approximately 0.1 grams of copper. Some key facts are that copper comes from the Latin word for Cyprus, it is one of the earliest metals known to civilization, and over 400 copper alloys are in use today.

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131 views14 pages

Copper, Cu

Copper is a transition metal with the symbol Cu that has been used by humans for over 10,000 years. It has high thermal and electrical conductivity and a reddish-orange color. Copper is essential to living organisms and is found in the liver, muscle and bone of humans, who contain approximately 0.1 grams of copper. Some key facts are that copper comes from the Latin word for Cyprus, it is one of the earliest metals known to civilization, and over 400 copper alloys are in use today.

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adrian lozano
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Copper

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation).

Copper,   Cu 29

Native copper (~4 cm in size)

General properties

Name, symbol copper, Cu

Pronunciation /ˈkɒpər/
KOP-ər

Appearance red-orange metallic luster

Copper in the periodic table

nickel ← copper → zinc

Atomic number (Z) 29
Group, block group 11, d-block

Period period 4

Element category   transition metal

Standard atomic 63.546(3)[1]


weight (±) (Ar)

Electron configuration [Ar] 3d10 4s1

per shell 2, 8, 18, 1

Physical properties

Phase solid

Melting point 1357.77 K (1084.62 °C, 1984.32 °F)

Boiling point 2835 K (2562 °C, 4643 °F)

Density near r.t. 8.96 g/cm3

when liquid, at m.p. 8.02 g/cm3

Heat of fusion 13.26 kJ/mol

Heat of vaporization 300.4 kJ/mol

Molar heat capacity 24.440 J/(mol·K)

vapor pressure

P (Pa) 1 10 100 1 k 10 k 100 k


at T (K) 1509 1661 1850 2089 2404 2834

Atomic properties

Oxidation states −2, +1, +2, +3, +4 (a mildly basic oxide)


Electronegativity Pauling scale: 1.90

Ionization energies 1st: 745.5 kJ/mol


2nd: 1957.9 kJ/mol
3rd: 3555 kJ/mol
(more)

Atomic radius empirical: 128 pm

Covalent radius 132±4 pm

Van der Waals radius 140 pm

Miscellanea

Crystal structure face-centered cubic (fcc)

Speed of soundthin rod (annealed)


3810 m/s (at r.t.)

Thermal expansion 16.5 µm/(m·K) (at 25 °C)

Thermal conductivity 401 W/(m·K)

Electrical resistivity 16.78 nΩ·m (at 20 °C)

Magnetic ordering diamagnetic[2]

Young's modulus 110–128 GPa

Shear modulus 48 GPa

Bulk modulus 140 GPa

Poisson ratio 0.34


Mohs hardness 3.0

Vickers hardness 343–369 MPa

Brinell hardness 235–878 MPa

CAS Number 7440-50-8

History

Naming after Cyprus, principal mining place in


Roman era (Cyprium)

Discovery Middle East (9000 BCE)

Most stable isotopes of copper

iso NA half-life DM DE (MeV) DP


63
Cu 69.15% is stable with 34 neutrons
ε – 64
Ni
64
Cu syn 12.700 h β−
– 64
Zn
65
Cu 30.85% is stable with 36 neutrons
67
Cu syn 61.83 h β− – 67
Zn

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| references | in Wikidata

Copper is a chemical element with symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a


soft, malleable and ductilemetal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed
surface of pure copper has a reddish-orange color. It is used as a conductor of heat and electricity,
as a building material and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as sterling silver used
in jewelry, cupronickel used to make marine hardware and coins and constantan used in strain
gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.
Copper is found as a pure metal in nature, and this was the first source of the metal to be used by
humans, c. 8000 BC. It was the first metal to be smelted from its ore, c. 5000 BC, the first metal to
be cast into a shape in a mold, c. 4000 BC and the first metal to be purposefully alloyed with another
metal, tin, to create bronze, c. 3,500 BC.[3]
In the Roman era, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, the origin of the name of the metal,
from aes сyprium (metal of Cyprus), later corrupted to сuprum, from which the
words copper (English), cuivre (French), Koper (Dutch) and Kupfer (German) are all derived.[4] The
commonly encountered compounds are copper(II) salts, which often impart blue or green colors to
such minerals as azurite, malachite, and turquoise, and have been used widely and historically as
pigments. Architectural structures built with copper (usually roofing elements) corrode to give
green verdigris (or patina). Decorative art prominently features copper, both in the elemental metal
and in compounds as pigments. Copper compounds are also used as bacteriostatic
agents, fungicides, and wood preservatives.
Copper is essential to all living organisms as a trace dietary mineral because it is a key constituent
of the respiratory enzyme complex cytochrome c oxidase. In molluscs and crustaceans copper is a
constituent of the blood pigment hemocyanin, replaced by the iron-complexed hemoglobin in fish
and other vertebrates. In humans, copper is found mainly in the liver, muscle, and bone. [5] The adult
body contains between 1.4 and 2.1 mg of copper per kilogram of body weight. Hence a healthy
human weighing 60 kilogram contains approximately 0.1 g of copper. However, this small amount is
essential to the overall human well-being. [6]

Basic Information

Name: Copper 
Symbol: Cu 
Atomic Number: 29 
Atomic Mass: 63.546 amu 
Melting Point: 1083.0 °C (1356.15 K, 1981.4 °F) 
Boiling Point: 2567.0 °C (2840.15 K, 4652.6 °F) 
Number of Protons/Electrons: 29 
Number of Neutrons: 35 
Classification: Transition Metal 
Crystal Structure: Cubic 
Density @ 293 K: 8.96 g/cm3 
Color: red/orange
Facts

Date of Discovery: Known to the ancients 


Discoverer: Unknown 
Name Origin: From the Latin word cyprium, after the island of Cyprus 
Uses: electrical conductor, jewelry, coins, plumbing 
Obtained From: chalcopyrite, coveline, chalcosine 

1. Copper comes from the Latin word cuprum, meaning “from the island of Cyprus.”

2. Copper is man’s oldest metal, dating back more than 10,000 years. A copper pendant
discovered in what is now northern Iraq has been dated to about 8,700 B.C.

3. The Egyptians used the ankh symbol to denote copper in their system of hieroglyphs. It also
represented eternal life.

4. Copper is one of the oldest metals known to civilization. Its uses and contributions continue
to grow.

5. Copper is a vital and positive contributor to humankind and has improved our quality of life
for centuries.

6. Copper is the only metal other than gold that has natural color. Other metals are either gray
or white.

7. Over 400 copper alloys are in use today. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Bronze is an
alloy of copper and tin, aluminum, silicon, and beryllium.

8. Copper is vital to the health of humans, animals and plants and an essential part of the
human diet. Copper-rich foods include dried beans, almonds, broccoli, chocolate, garlic, soybeans,
peas, whole wheat products, and seafood.

9. Copper maximizes the performance of the products that contain it, helping save energy, CO 2,
money and lives.
Cables
Wires

Coins

Monels
Gun metals

Water purification
Copper

 
 

Name Copper

Symbol Cu

Atomic Number 29

Atomic Mass 63.546 atomic mass units

Number of Protons 29

Number of Neutrons 35

Number of
29
Electrons

Melting Point 1083.0° C

Boiling Point 2567.0° C

Density 8.96 grams per cubic centimeter

Normal Phase Solid

Family Transition Metal

Period 4

Cost $2.93 per kilogram


 

From the Latin word cuprium, referring


Origin of Name
to the island of Cyprus

Date of Discovery Known to the ancients

Copper beads dating back to 9000 B.C.


Discovered by
were found in Iraq

 Copper chloride (CuCl2)
 Copper cyanide (CuCN) -
electroplating
Common  Cuprous chloride (CuCl) - absorbs
Compounds carbon dioxide
 Hydrated copper
sulfate (CuSO4·H2O) - the most
well known

Interesting facts  Pure copper rarely occurs in


nature.
 It is found in minerals such
as azurite, malachite and bornite.
 It is obtained by smelting,
leaching or electrolysis.
 Each year about 6,540,000 tons of
copper is mined in the United
States, Zaire, Zambia, Canada,
Chile, Cyprus, Russia and
Australia.

 Electrical conductors
 Jewelry (clocks and watches)
 Boat bottoms to keep them from
sinking
Common Uses  Coins
 Bronze art such as sculptures
 The Statute of Liberty's skin is
copper

Photo Courtesy
of About.com
Chemical Elements
Environmental Chemistry
Jefferson Labs
Newton School

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