Gemdle

Copper

orangebrownred

Copper, a orange/brown/red mineral
Native_Copper_Macro_Digon3.jpg: “Jonathan Zander (Digon3)" derivative work: Materialscientist (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
ColourOrange, Brown, Red

What is Copper?

Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orange color. Copper is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material, and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as sterling silver used in jewelry, cupronickel used to make marine hardware and coins, and constantan used in strain gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.

How to identify Copper

Can you spot Copper?

Test yourself on photos of Copper and lookalikes:

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Copper?
Copper's hardness varies; see the property table above.
What colour is Copper?
Copper is typically orange, brown, red.