Copper

Symbol

Cu

Atomic number

29

Atomic mass	63.546		Thermal conductivity	4.01
Atomic radius	1.57		Covalent radius	1.17
Density	8.96		Atomic volume	7.1
Melting point	1356.6		Oxidation states	2,1
Boiling point	2836		Stable isotopes	2
Heat of vapor.	300.3		Electronegativity	1.9
Heat of fusion	13.05		First ionization	7.726
Specific heat	0.38		Electrical conduct.	58.1

Electron configuration

Copper

Copper is a red, tough metal with a moderately high melting point. It is an excellent conductor of heat and of electricity and finds extensive use as an electric conductor.

Pure copper is soft and can be drawn into wire or hammered into desired shapes. These shaping processes cause the metal to become hard because the large crystal grains are broken into smaller grains, strengthening the metal. If the copper is subsequently heated (annealed), it can be made soft again.

Copper and zinc are alloyed to make brass, and alloyed with tin to make bronze. Alloys of copper and aluminum are called aluminum bronze.

Copper sulfate (CuSO₄.5H₂0) is a common compound of copper. Copper sulfate is used in copper plating, in fabric printing, and in electric cells. Common names are blue vitriol and blustone.

Metallic copper appears in nature in a variety of mineral forms. It appears with magnesium in the carbonate mineral Callaghanite. The carbonate mineral malachite has a rich dark green color which makes it a widely used decorative material. Its companion carbonate azurite has a dramatic blue color.

Cuprite is the mineral form of the oxide Cu₂O. Another, rarer, copper oxide is paramelaconite, Cu₄O₃. Copper forms an oxide with iron called delafossite. An oxide of copper with zinc, vanadium and lead is mottramite.

Copper forms the sulfides covellite, CuS, chalcocite, Cu₂S, and digenite, Cu₉S₅. With iron it forms chalcopyrite, CuFeS₂, with antimony it forms chalcostibite, CuSbS₂ and with arsenic itforms chalcophyllite. Copper also forms a sulfide with bismuth called emplectite, CuBiS₂. It forms a sulfide with antimony and iron called tetrahedrite. Sulfides with iron include bornite, Cu₅FeS₄, and cubanite, CuFe₂S₃. A sulfide with arsenic is called enargite. Bournonite is a sulfide with copper, lead and antimony. Tennantite is a sulfide which contains copper, arsenic, iron and antimony. Lead, copper and iron join in the sulfide betekhtinite. Germanite is a sulfide which contains copper, germanium and iron. Stannite is a sulfide with tin and copper. Copper with silver and antimony form the sulfide polybasite.

It occurs in a sulfate form in antlerite, brochantite, connellite, cyanotrichite and devilline. Copper appears with lead in caledonite. Copper, cobalt and nickel join in the sulfide carrollite. A striking green color is exhibited by the mineral bayldonite which combines copper, zinc and lead with an arsenate group. Another green copper mineral is the copper arsenate olivenite, Cu₂AsO₄(OH). Another copper arsenate is clinoclase. Duftite is an arsenate mineral of lead and copper. Copper silicate in the mineral dioptase also exhibits a green color. Dioptase is sometimes accompanied by a rarer silicate of copper, plancheite. Copper appears as a chloride in atacamite, boleite and cumengite. A chloride of copper and lead is diaboleite. Copper appears as a phosphate in cornetite.

Copper forms the phosphate mineral libethenite. Copper appears with uranium in the phosphate mineral metatorbernite.

Copper is one of the few exceptions to the general order of filling of electron orbitals, filling all ten 3d states before it fills the second 4s state.

Copper Nuclear Data