Chemical Properties of Copper

Copper is a metal used by people who lived in prehistoric times. Jordan, Egypt and Israel have copper smelting locations that date back to 4500 B.C. The people who lived in that historical period combined copper with iron or tin to produce an alloy called bronze. Another alloy of copper is brass. Brass and bronze are stronger than copper; hence, it was used to make weapons such as spear tips, hammers, axes and so on.

The Romans smelted copper from the ores found on the island of Cyprus. The chemical name of the metal copper is cuprum and it has been named after the country Cyprus. Here are a few chemical properties of copper.

Chemical Properties of Copper
The table below lists the chemical properties of copper.

Chemical Property	Value
Atomic number	29
Atomic mass	63.546 g.mol-1
Electronegativity according to Pauling	1.9
Density	8.9 g.cm-3at 20°C
Melting point	1083 °C
Boiling point	2595 °C
Vanderwaals radius	0.128 nm
Ionic radius	0.096 nm (+1); 0.069 nm (+3)
Isotopes	6
Electronic shell	[Ar] 3d10 4s1
Energy of first ionization	743.5 kJ.mol-1
Energy of second ionization	1946 kJ.mol-1
Standard potential	+0.522 V (Cu+/Cu); +0.345 V (Cu2+/Cu)

Copper is a malleable and ductile metal, which is also a good conductor of heat and electricity. This element is softer than iron, but harder than zinc. In the periodic table, copper is found in group Ib that includes transition metal elements such as silver and gold.

When polished copper glows and looks bright. Copper absorbs moisture and a green layer is formed on top of it. It is called as "patina"; this coating protects the metal from being eroding. Who discovered copper gives an insight into the discovery of copper in pre-historic times.

It is a fact that the human body absorbs copper in small quantities because it is one of the essential minerals required for the proper functioning of the vital organs. The daily requirement of copper is about one to two milligrams.