Okay guys, I need some properties of copper. These properties must relate to why copper is used as wires to conduct electricity.- I already have that it is a good conductor of electricity.- I already have that it has a high melting point so when you send electricity through it, so it won‘t melt.You can‘t use any of the two above. Are there any other properties?
Its somewhat soft and malleable - it can be pressed into thin sheets and can be drawn into wires, etc.
It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.At 59.6 × 106 S/m copper has the second highest electrical conductivity of any element after silver. This high value is due to virtually all the valence electrons (one per atom) taking part in conduction. The resulting free electrons in the copper amounting to a huge charge density of 13.6x109 C/m3. This high charge density is responsible for the rather slow drift velocity of currents in copper cable (drift velocity may be calculated as the ratio of current density to charge density). For instance, at a current density of 5x106 A/m2 (typically, the maximum current density present in household wiring and grid distribution) the drift velocity is just a little over ? mm/s.[21]
It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.At 59.6 × 106 S/m copper has the second highest electrical conductivity of any element after silver. This high value is due to virtually all the valence electrons (one per atom) taking part in conduction. The resulting free electrons in the copper amounting to a huge charge density of 13.6x109 C/m3. This high charge density is responsible for the rather slow drift velocity of currents in copper cable (drift velocity may be calculated as the ratio of current density to charge density). For instance, at a current density of 5x106 A/m2 (typically, the maximum current density present in household wiring and grid distribution) the drift velocity is just a little over ? mm/s.[21]
Its somewhat soft and malleable - it can be pressed into thin sheets and can be drawn into wires, etc.
Physical properties: Copper is a metal with a distinct reddish or orange tint, with a metallic luster. The cubic crystalline structure is face-centered, and reflects only red and orange colored light from the visible spectrum, giving it the familiar reddish hue. Compared to adjacent metals in the periodic table, copper is harder than zinc but softer than iron. The metal is malleable, meaning that it can be elongated with pressure and molded into different shapes. Copper is also ductile, which enables it to change form and be stretched into long thin structures without breaking. These properties, along with its ability to conduct electricity extremely well, make copper suitable for use in electrical cable manufacturing, where these physical attributes are particularly desirable. Chemical properties: The atomic number of copper used in wires is 29, meaning it has 29 protons. Copper's symbol is Cu, and its atomic weight is 63.54. Copper is placed in column 1B in the periodic table, along with silver and gold, whose symbols are Ag and Au, respectively. Copper has a Moh's hardness (a system of measurement to evaluate the hardness of metals) of between 2.5 and 3. Copper used in manufacturing wires has a very high specific gravity of 8.2, which is much higher than other substances of industrial interest, such as water (1.0), carbon (2.2) and sulfur (2.1). The specific densities of silver and gold are both higher than copper, at 10.5 and 19, respectively. Copper wires have low chemical reactivity; in reaction with other elements, laboratory copper has a charge of +1, known as cuprous or +2, known as cupric. Corrosion: Copper in electrical wires is resistant to corrosion. When exposed to damp air, the substance changes color from reddish orange to reddish brown. In time, a fine greenish film, known as patina, coats the surface of the metal, protecting it from degradation through corrosion.
Physical properties: Copper is a metal with a distinct reddish or orange tint, with a metallic luster. The cubic crystalline structure is face-centered, and reflects only red and orange colored light from the visible spectrum, giving it the familiar reddish hue. Compared to adjacent metals in the periodic table, copper is harder than zinc but softer than iron. The metal is malleable, meaning that it can be elongated with pressure and molded into different shapes. Copper is also ductile, which enables it to change form and be stretched into long thin structures without breaking. These properties, along with its ability to conduct electricity extremely well, make copper suitable for use in electrical cable manufacturing, where these physical attributes are particularly desirable. Chemical properties: The atomic number of copper used in wires is 29, meaning it has 29 protons. Copper's symbol is Cu, and its atomic weight is 63.54. Copper is placed in column 1B in the periodic table, along with silver and gold, whose symbols are Ag and Au, respectively. Copper has a Moh's hardness (a system of measurement to evaluate the hardness of metals) of between 2.5 and 3. Copper used in manufacturing wires has a very high specific gravity of 8.2, which is much higher than other substances of industrial interest, such as water (1.0), carbon (2.2) and sulfur (2.1). The specific densities of silver and gold are both higher than copper, at 10.5 and 19, respectively. Copper wires have low chemical reactivity; in reaction with other elements, laboratory copper has a charge of +1, known as cuprous or +2, known as cupric. Corrosion: Copper in electrical wires is resistant to corrosion. When exposed to damp air, the substance changes color from reddish orange to reddish brown. In time, a fine greenish film, known as patina, coats the surface of the metal, protecting it from degradation through corrosion.
