The Element Copper


Copper is a reddish colored metal which appears greenish in its liquid form in an environment without ambient light. However in bright ambient light it will appear in a pinkish luster. The best characteristic about copper is its high electrical and thermal conductivity at room temperature which is second only to silver among pure metals. Its reactivity with oxygen in air is very slow at room temperature, forming a layer of brown-black copper oxide. However, it does not react with water.

Copper is widely used commercially to produce copper wire, electromagnets, printed circuit boards, lead free solder alloyed with tin, electrical machines such as transformers and electrical relays/switches.

Atomic Number & Chemical Properties


Element Basics:

Chemical Symbol: Cu
Atomic Number: 29
Atomic Weight: 63.546
Element Classification: Transition Metal
Discovered By: Known to the ancients.
Date of Discovery: n/a (Unknown)
Origin of Name: Symbol from Latin: cuprum (island of Cyprus famed for its copper mines).

How to Recognize it at a Party:

Malleable, ductile, reddish-brown metal

Seriously Atomic Information:

Density (g/cc): 8.96
Melting Point (°K): 1356.6
Boiling Point (°K): 2840
Atomic Radius (pm): 128
Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 7.1
Covalent Radius (pm): 117
Ionic Radius: 72 (+2e) 96 (+1e)
Pauling Negativity Number: 1.90
First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 745.0
Oxidation States: 2, 1
Electronic Configuration: [Ar] 3d10 4s1

Getting Intimate with Copper:

Lattice Structure: Face-Centered Cubic (FCC)
Lattice Constant (Å): 3.610
Lattice C/A Ratio: n/a
Specific Heat (@20°C J/g mol): 0.385
Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 13.01
Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 304.6
Thermal Conductivity (@25°C W/m K):
Debye Temperature (°K): 315.00


Society's Questions About Copper:

Have you ever wondered what everyone else in the world thinks about Copper? Is anyone else looking for it too? If so, why? What do they want?

The following list shows the most common online questions about the element Copper. Are your questions the same or different from everyone else's?

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