 Discovery Information |
| Who: Known to the ancients. |
|
| Name Origin |
| Latin: cyprium (island of Cyprus famed for its copper mines). |
|
| Sources |
| Pure copper occurs rarely in nature. Usually copper found in such minerals as azurite, malachite and bornite and in sulfides as in chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), coveline (CuS), chalcosine (Cu2S) or oxides like cuprite (Cu2O). Copper is obtained by smelting, leaching and by electrolysis. |
|
| Uses |
| Most often used as an electrical conductor. Its alloys are used in jewellery, bronze sculptures and for coins. The skin of the Statue of Liberty is made of copper (81.3 tonnes). |
|
| Notes |
| Copper is a very interesting
element
. It is one of the transition
elements
that actually uses electrons from one of the inner orbitals in chemical reactions. In addition, it has more than one oxidation state. Like many of the transition elements, copper has a colored ion. Copper typically forms a bluish green solution. Copper (Cu) has two valences Cu I (cuprous) has one valence electron and Cu II (cupric) has two valence electrons. Copper was one of the earliest known metals, having reportedly been mined for over 5000 years. In nature it has two isotopes, 63 (69.09%), which has 29
electrons
and
protons
and 34
neutrons
, and 65 (30.91%), which has 29
electrons
and
protons
and 36
neutrons
. Brass and bronze are alloys of copper. |
| When powdered, the metal is a fire hazard. All copper compounds are toxic. |
