29 Cu Copper
Transition metal, mass: 63.546 u, 2 stable isotopes (63, 65), abundance rank (earth/space): 25/25Click image to magnify. Natural copper nugget, 44 grams. Original size in cm: 1 x 2.5 x 3.5


Copper is an abundant and quite inert metal with a golden-red color, which is useful for a lot of different things. It is known since ancient times and was the first metal used by humans. Together with tin, it is main ingredient of bronze. In an alloy together with zinc, it forms brass. Copper has a very high electrical conductivity, so it is used for most electrical lines (copper wire). Sometimes copper nuggets like this can be found, but most copper is won from ore. Copper also is a necessary trace element for most multicellular organisms.


Left: Copper ore, from the museum of Santa Clara a Nova, Almodôvar, Portugal.
Right: Copper crystal, 15 grams, 1.5 x 2 cm.


left: Small pieces of copper, 3 gramms, about 5 mm each.
Right: Copper wire, 1 mm thick, 5.5 cm long.


Left: Copper acetate (verdigris), C4H6CuO4. One of the copper pieces above, laying for several weeks in 25% acetic acid.
Right: The acetic acid is evaporated, the copper acetate crystallized on the glass.

Patina on a copper roof, a mix primarily of copper carbonare, sulfate, chloride and hydroxide.
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Page last changed on April 24. 2017
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