Ask A Scientist General Science Archive

Author:     beatrix
Text:       I am twelve years old and interested in knowing what copper is 
made of and what is its beginning?

Response #:  1 of 1
Author:      Joe Schultz
Text:        Since copper is one of the 109 or so elements (#29 on your 
periodic table), it is not made of anything else but protons, neutrons, and 
electrons.  It dates back way before prehistoric times, probably over 5000 
years ago (at least according to the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics).  
To get more specific:  copper (Cu stands for Latin word cuprum) has 29 
electrons (negatively charged particles), 29 protons (positively charged 
particles), and about 34-35 neutrons (neutral particles).  The 29 is its 
atomic number, and the protons added to the neutrons is its atomic weight. 


Some copper is mined in its natural state (as a metal) but most comes from 
minerals that contain copper atoms like azurite and malachite (semiprecious 
stones) and chalcopyrite (CuFeS2), chalcocite (CuS), and bornite (Cu5FeS4).  
Copper has two well-known alloys too (mixtures of metals):  bronze (90% 
copper, 10% tin) and brass (about 60% copper and 40% zinc).