Copper

Copper
Properties
Atomic symbol	Cu
Atomic number	29
Classification	Transition metal
Atomic mass	63.5 amu
Number of Stable Isotopes	2
Other Information
Date of discovery	Copper has been known since ancient times
Name of discoverer	Unknown
Name origin	From the Latin cyprium, referring to the island of Cyprus, where it was obtained in ancient times.
Uses	Copper is used in wires because it conducts electricity very well. It is also useful in jewelry and coins
Obtained from	chalcopyrite, coveline, and chalcosine

Copper, the 29th element, is a metal. In industry it is praised for its extreme ductility and electrical conductivity which make it an excellent material for wires.^[1] Copper is also a nutrient mineral, and is required by the human body to perform certain chemical reactions.

Copper is also important culturally, as one of the first metals to be used by humankind, especially in its alloy form bronze. Even today the pennies in the United States are informally referred to as "coppers."

The atomic symbol for copper, Cu, comes from the Latin cuprum which also gives its name (via Greek) to Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean renowned for its wealth of copper.

Copper is usually mixed with tin to form bronze, and was a key metal during the Bronze Age.

The Price of Copper and the U.S. Economy[edit]

The price of copper has traditionally been one of the very best economic indicator of the future performance of the U.S. economy. Many analysts are concerned.^[2] "Copper is viewed by some analysts as a signal of turning points in the world economy, as well as an indicator of whether it is safe to buy cyclical industrial stocks.^[3]

"Copper's downward trend foreshadows a stock market collapse, according to Société Générale's famously bearish strategist Albert Edwards, who said equity markets will riot 'Japan-style.'"

"Copper is acting exactly as it did when I wrote about the impotence of liquidity in the face of the (then imminent) 2007 recession. Once again it is giving us an early warning that liquidity will not save risky assets: time to get out of equities."^[4]

References[edit]

Periodic Table of the Elements
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
1 H 1.008																	2 He 4.003
3 Li 6.939	4 Be 9.0122											5 B 10.811	6 C 12.011	7 N 14.007	8 O 15.999	9 F 18.998	10 Ne 10.183
11 Na 22.99	12 Mg 24.312											13 Al 26.982	14 Si 28.086	15 P 30.974	16 S 32.064	17 Cl 35.453	18 Ar 39.948
19 K 39.102	20 Ca 40.08	21 Sc 44.956	22 Ti 47.9	23 V 50.942	24 Cr 51.996	25 Mn 54.938	26 Fe 55.847	27 Co 58.933	28 Ni 58.71	29 Cu 63.546	30 Zn 65.37	31 Ga 69.72	32 Ge 72.59	33 As 74.922	34 Se 78.96	35 Br 79.904	36 Kr 83.8
37 Rb 85.47	38 Sr 87.62	39 Y 88.905	40 Zr 91.22	41 Nb 92.906	42 Mo 95.94	43 Tc [97]	44 Ru 101.07	45 Rh 102.91	46 Pd 106.4	47 Ag 107.87	48 Cd 112.4	49 In 114.82	50 Sn 118.69	51 Sb 121.75	52 Te 127.6	53 I 126.9	54 Xe 131.3
55 Cs 132.91	56 Ba 137.34	57* La 138.91	72 Hf 178.49	73 Ta 180.95	74 W 183.85	75 Re 186.2	76 Os 190.2	77 Ir 192.2	78 Pt 195.09	79 Au 196.97	80 Hg 200.59	81 Tl 204.37	82 Pb 207.19	83 Bi 208.98	84 Po 210	85 At 210	86 Rn 222
87 Fr 215	88 Ra 226.03	89** Ac 227.03	104 Rf [261]	105 Db [262]	106 Sg [266]	107 Bh [264]	108 Hs [265]	109 Mt [268]	110 Dt [271]	111 Rg [272]	112 Cn [277]	113 Nh [284]	114 Fv [289]	115 Mc [288]	116 Lv [292]	117 Ts [293]	118 Og [294]
*Lanthanides		58 Ce 140.12	59 Pr 140.91	60 Nd 144.24	61 Pm 145	62 Sm 150.35	63 Eu 151.96	64 Gd 157.25	65 Tb 158.92	66 Dy 162.5	67 Ho 164.93	68 Er 167.26	69 Tm 168.93	70 Yb 173.04	71 Lu 174.97
**Actinides		90 Th 232.04	91 Pa 231	92 U 238.03	93 Np 237.05	94 Pu 239.05	95 Am 241.06	96 Cm 244.06	97 Bk 249.08	98 Cf 252.08	99 Es 252.08	100 Fm 257.1	101 Md 258.1	102 No 259.1	103 Lr 262.11