Copper

Copper
Symbol Cu
Origin of the name aes yprium (metal of Cyprus), later corrupted
to its Latin name, uprum
Atomic number 29
Melting point 1357.77 K ( 1084.62 C, 1984.32 F)
Boiling point 2835 K (2562 C, 4643 F)
Density 8.96 g/cm3
Color A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has
a reddish-orange color
Copper
It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and
electrical conductivity.
It has the second highest electrical and thermal conductivity among
pure metals.
It was the first metal to be smelted from its ore
The first metal to be cast into a shape in a mold
The first metal to be purposefully alloyed with another metal, tin, to
create bronze.
The two most familiar alloys of copper are bronze and brass.
 Copper does not react with
water, but it does slowly react
with atmospheric oxygen to
form a layer of brown-black
copper oxide.
A green layer of verdigris
(copper carbonate) can often
be seen on old copper
structures, such as the roofing
of many older buildings and
the Statue of Liberty.
History of Copper
Copper occurs naturally as native metallic copper
The history of copper use dates to 9000 BC in the Middle East; a
copper pendant was found in northern Iraq that dates to 8700 BC
tzi the Iceman, a male dated from 33003200 BC, was found
with an axe with a copper head 99.7% pure; high levels of arsenic
in his hair suggest his involvement in copper smelting.
The largest mass of elemental copper discovered weighed 420
tonnes and was found in 1857 on the Keweenaw Peninsula in
Michigan, US.
 Native copper from the Keweenaw
A replica of tzi's
Peninsula Michigan about 2.5 inches
copper axe
(6.4 cm) long
Copper in Health
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 humans, copper is found mainly in the liver,
muscle, and bone. The adult body contains
between 1.4 and 2.1 mg of copper per
kilogram of body weight.