Copper

Copper and its Properties

. Civilizations have been using copper for almost 10,000 years and it has proved to be one of useful materials known to man. Ancient civilizations would have used copper for everyday tools such as weapons, cooking materials and also artwork. Copper is a naturally element that can be found all across the world Peru is the largest producer of copper in the world, closely followed by the United States, the second largest producer of copper. It is usually found as an ore, where it is then put through a series of processes which turn the impure ore, into virtually pure copper. This copper can then be used for various applications such as electrical wiring, automotive parts and plumbing to name a few. Pure copper can occasionally be found in small cubic chunks.

Copper is commonly used in electrical wiring because of its property of high electrical conductivity. "Electrical uses of copper, including power transmission and generation, wires for building purposes, telecommunication, and electrical and electronic products, account for about three quarters of total copper use - over 933,000 tons - a year"(copper.org). As well as being an excellent conductor of electricity, copper is a great conductor of heat and also fairly non-reactive. It therefore proves to be a great material to use in both plumbing and gas lines. Copper is a relatively cheap material, which is another reason why it is so commonly used.

Copper has very useful physical properties along with its chemical properties. It is very ductile, or easily drawn out into wires. This is yet another reason why it is so useful