Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; a freshly exposed surface has a reddish-orange color. It is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, a building material, and a constituent of various metal alloys.
The metal and its alloys have been used for thousands of years. In the Roman era, copper was principally mined on Cyprus, hence the origin of the name of the metal as сyprium (metal of Cyprus), later shortened to сuprum. Its compounds are commonly encountered as copper(II) salts, which often impart blue or green colors to minerals such as turquoise and have been widely used historically as pigments. Architectural structures built with copper corrode to give green verdigris (or patina). Decorative art prominently features copper, both by itself and as part of pigments.
Copper(II) ions are water-soluble, where they function at low concentration as bacteriostatic substances, fungicides, and wood preservatives. In sufficient amounts, they are poisonous to higher organisms; at lower concentrations it is an essential trace nutrient to all higher plant and animal life. The main areas where copper is found in animals are liver, muscle and bone.
Read more about Copper: Production, Alloys, Applications, Biological Role
Other articles related to "copper, metal":
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... The Bicentennial pieces, in base metal, were included in 1975 proof sets and mint sets together with 1975-dated cents, nickels and dimes ... eleven million sets in uncirculated and four million in proof, then began the base metal pieces ... Once striking began, the Mint found that the copper nickel dollar was striking indistinctly, a problem not seen with the silver pieces ...
... Induction cooking surfaces work well with any pans with a high ferrous metal content at the base ... Cast iron pans and any black metal or iron pans will work on an induction cooking surface ... An "all-metal" cooker will work with non-ferrous cookware, but available models are limited ...
... paint which contains finely ground lead or copper filings, ground glass, gum arabic and a medium such as wine, vinegar or (traditionally) urine ... the weight of the window, which was tied to the rods by copper wire ... Gothic windows are divided into sections by heavy metal frames called ferramenta ...
Famous quotes containing the words metal and/or copper:
“There is a lot of talk now about metal detectors and gun control. Both are good things. But they are no more a solution than forks and spoons are a solution to world hunger.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1953)
“He had put, within his reach,
A box of counters and a red-veined stone,
A piece of glass abraded by the beach,
And six or seven shells,
A bottle with bluebells,
And two French copper coins, ranged there with careful art,”
—Coventry Kersey Dighton Patmore (1823–1896)