Contents Introduction Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five The Periodic Table of Elements Glossary For More Information For Further Reading Bibliography Index 4 6 The Element Copper 17 The Properties of Copper Where Can Copper Be Found 25 31 Copper Compounds Copper and You 36 42 44 45 46 45 47
Introduction Has anyone ever offered you a penny for your thoughts This small coin is made mostly of copper a metal that people have used since our early ancestors found shiny pieces of it among riverbed stones and sometimes in the ashes of their fires When humans began chipping rocks into tools and arrowheads they also used pieces of copper for tools Copper was softer than many rocks but still useful Metallurgy is the study of metals and their chemistry It is also the sci(cid:173) ence that deals with extracting metals from their ores of purifying or alloying mixing metals and of creating useful objects from metals Metallurgy probably began with the early use of copper Copper melts at a lower temperature than iron so copper was probably the first metal our ancestors learned to smelt out of ore in simple kilns and bonfires Copper ores are often colored making them easier to recognize than ores of most other metals People eventually learned that molten copper also combines with other metals such as zinc tin or nickel to make harder alloys which can be used for making weapons and farming and construction tools Copper is also present in plants and makes up a tiny but important part of our food and our bodies Copper silver and gold are called the coinage metals because they are used for making coins Coins often had an image of a god or ruler stamped onto one side Modern coins from Canada and Great Britain
Introduction Copper has always been found in nuggets in streambeds above Copper can also be mined from rock in Earth's crust where it is combined with other elements elements in copper ores The heat of a simple kiln or a bonfire is enough to melt copper out of ore unlike some other metals that melt at a higher temperature show the face of Queen Elizabeth II with these words in Latin D G Regina or Queen by Grace of God The ancient Greeks associated copper with Aphrodite goddess of love and wife of Hephaestus the Greek god of fire and metalworking Copper coins are still associated with reverent thoughts People throw pennies into fountains while making a wish Some native North Americans when traveling by ship even throw a penny into the water as their journey begins 5
