Essay/Term paper: Copper

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Chemistry

Copper


Blake Adams
Period 3 Grade 8
2/5/97

Copper is a mineral. it is not a plant or a animal. Copper
is a metallic metal. It can never be broken down into differnet substances by
normal chemical means. Copper was one of the first metals known to humans.
People liked it because in it"s native condition, it could easily be beaten
into weapons or tools. Copper has been one of the most useful metals for over
5000 years. Copper was probably used around 8000 B.C by people living along the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In 6000 B.C, Egyptians learned how to hammer copper
into things they wanted. Around 3500 B.C, People first learned how to melt
copper with tin to make bronze. So the period between 3000 B.C and 1100 B.C
became known as the bronze age.
Today, some of the leading states of the copper industry
are Arizona with 747,000 short tons, Utah with 187,000 short tons, New Mexico
with 161,000 short tons. Some other leading countries are Chile with 1,422,000
short tons, United States with 1,203,000 short tons, Soviet Union with 650,000
short tons, and Zambia with 596,000 short tons.
When copper is being mined, both Native copper and copper ore
are usually found. The highest grade of copper ore is pale silvery gray. Miners
used to be always in danger in copper mines. Today, we have reduced a fair
amount of these hazards. Miners wear hats made of iron or very hard plastic.
This is to protect them from falling rocks. Lamps are also attached to these
helmets in case some of the lighting in the mine goes out leaving a miner
stranded in the dark. One of the biggest problems with mining is that in some
places dangerous gas"s may exist, like Carbon Monoxide. In the past we had very
cruel and inhuman ways to detect harmful gases. One of these ways was the use of
canaries. Miners would let them fly into a part of the mine where a poison gas
was suspected. If there was a harmful gas, the bird would fall over dead at the
first scent of the gas. Today, we have better ways to detect gases without
having animals die. We now have detection machines in all parts of mines. Mines
also have top of the line fire alarms and water systems. If a flammable gas
ignites, like sulfur, the fire may not die for years, which results in closing
the mine. Another problem miners complain about are the rats. Mines will often
have mine cats that hunt out the rats. These cats are well fed and petted by
most of the miners.
Most copper is found in seven ores. That means it"s
mixed in with other metals like lead, zinc, gold, cobalt, bismuth, platinum, and
nickel. These ores will usually have only about 4% pure copper in them though.
Sometimes miners may only find 2%. The things that make copper such a popular
metal are malleability which is how easily it bends. Copper is highly malleable
and won"t crack when hammered or stamped. Ductility is also a good property and
is the ability to be molded or bent into a shape. Copper can be pulled into very
thin wire. For example, if you took a copper bar, 4 inches (10 centimeters)
square, you could draw it into wire thinner then a human hair. One of the most
amazing things about copper is its resistence to corrosion. Copper will not rust.
However, when the air grows damp, copper will go from reddish-orange to reddish
brown. After being in damp air for long periods of time, a green film will coat
the copper, called patina, which will protect it from further corrosion.
Since copper is one of the most widely used metals in
the world we use it for a lot of things. Copper gives us water heaters, boilers
and cooking utensils. It is used for out door power lines, cables, lamp cords,
and house wiring. Electrical machinery like generators, motors, controllers,
signaling devices, electro magnets, and communication devices all use copper.