Copper Facts
Copper Facts
|
Interesting Copper Facts: |
---|
Copper occurs in nature in its native form. |
Copper is found in the Earth's crust at about fifty parts per million. |
The largest single piece of natural copper weighed 420 tons, and was discovered in the US in 1857. |
Its history as a metal used by civilizations dates back at least 10,000 years. |
The archaeological find Otzi the Iceman (3300 BC) was found with a nearly pure copper-headed ax. |
His hair revealed arsenic at high levels, which researchers believe may have been from copper smelting. |
Other than the use of copper, only meteoric iron and gold have been used longer. |
Copper smelting was invented by several different ancient global civilizations simultaneously. |
Mining for copper actually has been traced back as far as almost 3000 BC in England. |
About 4000 years after copper smelting was discovered, the alloying of copper with tin to produce bronze began. |
Copper is fully recyclable without breakdown in quality. |
Brass, bronze, cupronickel, carat, and aluminum bronze are all important alloys of copper. |
Due to its resistance to corrosion, copper alloyed with nickel is used in making parts that will be repeatedly exposed to seawater. |
Copper's key industrial uses include electrical wiring due to its high level of conductivity. |
Other uses include plumbing and roofing materials. |
Copper is vital in small amounts in animals and plants. |
In humans, copper is necessary for aiding the uptake of iron. |
A deficiency in copper can actually mimic an iron deficiency because the two elements are related in the body. |
Copper easily forms simple binary compounds. |
The most common binary compounds of copper are sulfides, oxides, and halides. |
Of all the copper mined since ancient times, 96% of it has been since 1900. |
At the rate that copper is currently mined and consumed, there is about five million years' worth on Earth. |
Related Links: Facts Periodic Table Facts Animals Facts |