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Copper, is an element that has been around for as long
as time, but it has only been mined for the last five thousand
years. A copper pendant discovered in what is now northern Iraq
has been dated about 8700 B.C. It was only in the early eighteen
hundreds that extensive mining of copper took place, primarily in
the American West. Copper has no known discoverer. Its name
was derived from the Latin word 'cyprum". Copper is one of the
most used elements in American history. |
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Copper's crystal structure is cubic. It has a reddish orange color; and has a density of 8.96-gm/cm sq. at 293k. Because of its many desirable properties, such as its conductivity of electricity and heat, its resistance to corrosion, its malleability and ductility and its beauty, copper has long been used in a wide variety of applications. The prime uses are electrical, because of copper's extremely high conductivity, which is second only to that of silver. Because copper is very ductile, it can be drawn into wires of any diameter from about 0.025 mm (about 0.001 in) upward. The strong point of drawn copper wire is about 4200-kg/sq cm. It can be used in outdoor power lines and cables, as well as in house wiring, lamp cords, and electrical machinery such as generators, motors, controllers, signaling devices, electromagnets, and communications equipment. Copper is an element that has no lasting harm on the human body. It can be made into almost anything, and is an element that is going to make the world a safer more reliable place.
