

Copper compounds, such as Fehling's solution, are widely used in analytical chemistry tests for sugar. The nucleus is composed of protons and neutrons. Its discoverer and discovery date are unknown. The atom consist of a small but massive nucleus surrounded by a cloud of rapidly moving electrons. The chemical element copper is classed as a transition metal. Iron's alloys - brass and bronze - are very important: all American coins are copper alloys and gun metals also contain copper.Ĭopper has wide use as an agricultural poison and as an algicide in water purification. Copper is a chemical element with atomic number 29 which means there are 29 protons and 29 electrons in the atomic structure. The element copper is represented by Cu on the periodic table because it is based on the Latin word for copper, cuprum. The electrical industry is one of the greatest users of copper. Diagram of the nuclear composition and electron configuration of an atom of copper-63 (atomic number: 29), the most common isotope of this element. From these, copper is obtained by smelting, leaching, and by electrolysis.

Exposed surfaces form greenish carbonate film. It is a malleable, ductile, reddish-brown metal, resistant to air and water. transition metal with very high thermal and. The origin of the name comes from the Latin word cuprum meaning the island of Cyprus famed for its copper mines. Element copper on periodic table of elements, with element symbol cu from latin cuprum, and atomic number 29. The most important copper ores are the sulfides, the oxides, and carbonates. Relative atomic mass: 63.546 (3) Copper has been known since ancient times. Large copper ore deposits are found in the U.S., Chile, Zambia, Zaire, Peru, and Canada.

SourcesĬopper occasionally occurs native, and is found in many minerals such as cuprite, malachite, azurite, chalcopyrite, and bornite. It is malleable, ductile, and a good conductor of heat and electricity (second only to silver in electrical conductivity). PropertiesĬopper is reddish and takes on a bright metallic luster. Comprehensive data on the chemical element Copper is provided on this page including scores of properties, element names in many languages, most known nuclides. (Latin cuprum, from the island of Cyprus) It is believed that copper has been mined for 5,000 years. It is found in group Ib of the periodic table, together with silver and gold.
