materials research copper

As we saw at the beginning of this article, copper is Atomic Number 29, that is, an atom of copper has 29 protons. The Atomic Weight is 63.54. The Atomic Symbol is Cu.

Copper is in column IB of the Periodic Table of the Elements, above Silver (Ag) and Gold (Au). Elements in the same column have some similar properties. Like silver and gold, copper is soft (with a Moh's hardness of 2.5 to 3, that is, harder than a fingernail, but softer than a steel pocketknife). The surface has a metallic luster. With a specific gravity of 8.2 (based on the density of 8.2 grams per cubic centimeters, g/cm3), it is far denser than water with a specific gravity of 1, or sulfur, with a specific gravity of just over 2, or carbon in the mineral graphite (2.23). Silver, however, is below copper in column IB, and so it is denser (10.5) and gold, even lower, is far denser at 19.

When Copper combines with other elements, it has a charge of either +1 (called "cuprous") or +2 (called "cupric").

Physical Properties
Like gold and silver, copper is malleable. That is, it can be bent and shaped without cracking, when either hot or cold. It can be rolled into sheets as thin as 1/500 of an inch.

Copper also is ductile, that is, it can be drawn out into thin wire. A copper bar 4 inches thick can be heated, rolled, then drawn into a round wire so thin that it is thinner than a human hair. This wire is 20 million times longer than the original bar!

Industry valued copper for these properties. Copper is second only to silver in its ability to conduct electricity, but silver is too expensive for this sort of use. Bronze and brass, however, do not conduct electricity as well as pure copper.

Besides electricity, copper also is an excellent conductor of heat, making it an important metal in cookware, refrigerators, and radiators.

Copper is resistant to corrosion, that is, it will not rust. If the air around it often is damp, it will change from its usual reddish orange color to reddish-brown. Eventually, it is coated with a green film called a "patina" that stops all further corrosion.

The melting point of copper is 1083.4 degrees Centigrade. Liquid copper boils at 2567 degrees Centigrade.

http://www.unr.edu/sb204/geology/props.html

copper has a unique colour for a metal. it looks like a brown and is an excelent conductor. it is quite soft and it is kind of cheap. its non-corrosive, however it oxidises. a good choice for parts of a solar garden light