October 31 - November 3, 2004
Element of the Day
Sunday, October 31
Latin
cuprum , from the island of Cyprus.
Copper occasionally occurs natively, and is found in many minerals such
as cuprite, malachite, azurite, chalcopyrite, and bornite. Large copper ore
deposits are found in the U.S., Chile, Zambia, Zaire, Peru, and Canada. The most
important copper ores are the sulfides, the oxides, and carbonates. From these,
copper is obtained by smelting, leaching, and by electrolysis.
Discovered by: unknown. It is believed that copper has been mined for 5,000 years.
Uses: The electrical industry is one of the greatest users of copper. Iron's alloys -- brass and bronze -- are very important: all American coins are copper alloys and gun metals also contain copper. Copper has wide use as an agricultural poison and as an algaecide in water purification. Copper compounds, such as Fehling's solution, are widely used in analytical chemistry tests for sugar.