By: Dustin WalkupMr. Kimball

71242

• Copper’s symbol is Cu• Atomic Number 26• Atomic Mass 63.546 amu

• Number of N-35, P-29, E-29• Transition Metal• Melting Point: 1083.0 °C • Boiling Point: 2567.0 °C

Chemistry of Copper

History of copper…• The discovery date of

copper is unknown, but copper is considered man’s oldest metal.

• The earliest use of copper estimated is around 9000 B.C. in the middle east where copper was used to make icons and lamps.

Copper In Nature• Copper is found

in nature and has been mined for hundreds of years.

• Most copper ores extract copper sulfides such as,CuFeS2, Cu5FeS4, and Cu2S

Copper Mine

Copper Uses

• Copper is used for many things that we use daily, including something that we are all familiar with, money.

Copper Uses Continued…

• The penny contains only 2.6% copper

• But the U.S. nickel contains 75% copper. The dime, quarter, and half dollar coins contain 91.67% copper.

Copper Uses Continued…

• Another use for copper that is quite common is plumbing.

• Almost all houses built since 1963 contain copper water systems.

Copper Uses Continued…

• Plumbers use copper for plumbing because it does not corrode, like other metals, nor does it give off fumes, burn, or melt.

• In fact, copper has been found in ancient Egyptian tombs where it was used for water pipes like today and 5000 years later the copper was still in excellent and functional condition.

Copper Uses Continued…

• Copper is considered a very good conductor of heat and electricity.

• In fact, copper is used as a conductor in most electrical wires today because It conducts electrical current better than any other metal except silver.

Interesting Copper Facts

• Since 1999, the price of copper has quintupled, from $0.60 per pound to $3.75 per pound in May of 2006.

• The Statue of Liberty contains 179,000 pounds of copper

Toxicity• Although copper seems harmless as

we use it with everyday products, all copper compounds, unless otherwise known, should be treated as if they were toxic.

• People can receive copper poisoning from copper and in some cases, like with large quantities of copper sulfate, copper can be lethal.

Sources WWW.Copper.orgWWW.Chemicalelements.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper