Copper is element 29 on the Periodic Table.  It is a Transition metal.  I chose it because of it’s “conducting” qualities.

 

 

 

Number of Energy Levels: 4

• First Energy Level: 2
• Second Energy Level: 8
• Third Energy Level: 18
• Fourth Energy Level: 1

 

The part that I’m unsure about is whether it has 11 extra electrons (taken from the column above the element in the Periodic Table).

 

Isotope	Half Life
Cu-61	3.4 hours
Cu-62	9.7 minutes
Cu-63	Stable
Cu-64	12.7 hours
Cu-65	Stable
Cu-67	2.6 days

 

Date of Discovery: Known to the ancients
Discoverer: Unknown
Name Origin: From the Latin word cyprium, after the island of Cyprus
Uses: electrical conductor, jewelry, coins, plumbing
Obtained From: chalcopyrite, coveline, chalcosine

 

Information taken from Bentor, Yinon. Chemical Element.com – Copper. Jan. 12, 2009

Some Interesting Info about Copper:

Copper comes from the Latin word cuprum, which means “from the island of Cyprus.”

History and Uses:

 

o       Archaeological evidence suggests that people have been using copper for at least 11,000 years.

o       Relatively easy to mine and refine, people discovered methods for extracting copper from its ores at least 7,000 years ago.

o       The Roman Empire obtained most of its copper from the island of Cyprus, which is where copper’s name originated.

o       Today, copper is primarily obtained from the ores cuprite (CuO₂), tenorite (CuO), malachite (CuO₃·Cu(OH)₂), chalcocite (Cu₂S), covellite (CuS) and bornite (Cu₆FeS₄).

o       Large deposits of copper ore are located in the United States, Chile, Zambia, Zaire, Peru and Canada.

o       Used in large amounts by the electrical industry in the form of wire, copper is second only to silver in electrical conductance.

o       Since it resists corrosion from the air, moisture and seawater, copper has been widely used in coins.

o       Although early pennies were made almost entirely from copper, American pennies are now made from zinc that has been coated with copper. Copper is also used to make water pipes and jewelry, as well as and other items.

o       Pure copper is usually too soft for most uses.

o       People first learned about 5,000 years ago that copper can be strengthened if it is mixed with other metals.

o       The two most familiar alloys of copper are bronze and brass. Bronze, the first alloy created by people, is a mix of copper that contains as much as 25% tin. Early people used bronze to make tools, weaponry, containers and ornamental items. Brass, a mix of copper that contains between 5% and 45% zinc, was first used about 2,500 years ago. The Romans were the first to make extensive use of brass, using it to make such things as coins, kettles and ornamental objects. Today, brass is also used in some musical instruments, screws and other hardware that must resist corrosion.

o       Hydrated copper sulfate (CuSO₄·H₂O), also known as blue vitrol, is the best known copper compound. It is used as an agricultural poison, as an algicide in water purification and as a blue pigment for inks.

o       Cuperic chloride (CuCl₂), another copper compound, is used to fix dyes to fabrics. Cuprous chloride (CuCl) is a poisonous white powder that is chiefly used to absorb carbon dioxide (CO₂).

o       Copper cyanide (CuCN) is commonly used in electroplating.

Not sure what this information is :

Estimated Crustal Abundance: 6.0×10¹ milligrams per kilogram

Estimated Oceanic Abundance: 2.5×10^-4 milligrams per liter

Number of Stable Isotopes: 2   (View all isotope data)

Ionization Energy: 7.726 eV

Oxidation States: +2, +1