[Chemistry Class Notes] on Copper Pdf for Exam

Copper is a chemical element that used to be in a reddish color. The copper extremely ductile metal which is placed in Group 11 of the periodic table. The copper atomic number is 29. It has many chemical properties such as it is a good conductor of electricity and heat. It is found in ore form in nature. This native copper was first used in c. 8000 BCE as a substitute for stone by New Stone Age humans. It is a principal element of many compounds and alloys. 

Properties of Copper

Some properties of copper metal are listed below.

• Copper is a transition metal having a copper atomic number is 29 which means the copper atom contains 29 protons.

• The copper symbol is  Cu (from Latin: cuprum) which is mostly found in ore form.

• Ar

• [Ar 4s^{1} 3d^{10}] is the electronic configuration of Copper.

• Its appearance is reddish-orange and it is solid metal.

• The atomic mass/weight of Cu is 63.546 u (unified atomic mass unit).

• Its melting point is 1084.62℃ and the Boiling point is 2562℃.

• The density of Cu is [8.96 g/cm^{3}]. 

• It conducts heat and electricity very easily. It also offers excellent corrosion resistance.

• Natural copper is a mixture or copper composition of two stable isotopes. These isotopes are copper-63 (69.15 %) and copper-65 (30.85%).

It can be recycled again without the loss of quality.

Uses of Copper

Some of the popular uses of the copper element are given below.

1. Copper is added to some metals in order to improve their flexibility, hardness, elasticity, color, and resistance to corrosion as it is an easily molded base metal. Copper alloys used in jewellery such as silver and gold are the common metals that are alloyed with copper.

2. Copper is used in most common materials of plumbing and electrical industries such as tubing,  motor parts, wire, piping, etc.

3. Copper is also considered an essential element for human health. An adult human being requires approximately 1.2 mg of Cu in a day to help enzymes transfer energy in cells. An excess amount of copper in the body is toxic. Wilson’s disease and Menkes’ disease are genetic diseases that can affect the ability of the body to use copper properly.

It is alloyed with metals in order to make it usable for different purposes. Some of the important alloys of copper are copper-nickels, brasses, copper-beryllium alloys, bronzes, nickel silver alloys, gunmetals, etc.

Compounds of Copper

Some of the important compounds of copper are as follows.

1. Oxides- Copper forms two oxides as it has two valences. These compounds are cuprous oxide ([Cu_{2}O]) and cupric oxide (CuO).  Cuprous oxide is produced by furnace methods or electrolytes. It is a red crystalline material. Cupric oxide is prepared by the ignition of suitable salts such as the hydroxide, the nitrate or carbonate of copper, or by heating of cuprous oxide. CuO is a black-colored powder.

2. Halides- Cuprous chloride (CuCl),  Cupric chloride ([CuCl_{2}]) are compounds of copper with chlorine. By the direct combination of copper and iodine, the result is produced as Cuprous iodide (CuI). Cupric iodide ([Cul_{2}]) exists only in complex organic compounds or in combination with ammonium salts.

3. Sulphates- Cupric sulphate ([CuSO_{4}]) is called blue vitriol because it has a bright blue colour and is the most important salt of copper. Cupric sulphate generally crystallizes as [CuSO_{4}. 5H_{2}O]. 

Carbonates – When an alkaline carbonate is added to the solution of a copper salt, basic copper carbonates are formed. Compounds that have a bright green or blue colour are used in the preparation of pigments that occur in nature such as the minerals malachite and azurite.

Occurrence of Copper

Native copper occurred at various sites or locations as a primary mineral in basaltic lavas. It is also reduced from compounds of Cu such as arsenides, carbonates, chlorides, and sulfides. Copper is found in combination with many minerals, such as azurite, malachite, chalcopyrite, bornite, cuprite, and chalcocite. In many sea corals, it is present in the ashes of seaweeds, in the liver of human beings, and in many molluscs and arthropods. Copper is essential for living beings as it plays a similar role in transporting oxygen in the hemocyanin of molluscs (blue-blooded) and crustaceans as iron does in the hemoglobin of red-blooded animals. Copper is present in the body of humans as a trace element that helps catalyze hemoglobin formation. The greatest known deposit of the minerals is a deposit of porphyry copper in the Andes Mountains of Chile. Chile had become the leading producer of copper in the world by the early 21st century. Other major producers of copper are Peru, China, and the United States.

Conclusion

We get the information through this article related to copper metal such as its symbol, uses as well as occurrence and properties of copper etc. There is no doubt that copper is a very essential metal used in everyday life as well as industrial purposes. The wide range of applications of copper is possible due to its metallic properties.