Copper

This is element number 29 on the periodic table. As you can deduce from its atomic number, it has 29 protons and 29 electrons and its most common isotope contains 24 neutrons to give it an average atomic mass of 63.546 amu. It has a Ground state configuration of [Ar]4s¹3d¹⁰ and is one of those elements that does not like to conform to Aufbau's rules of simple orbital filling.

Copper is also a main component in the alloy that makes the penny, but it is also used, sometimes, in piping to help reduce the amounts of lead in drinking water. Unlike other metals, copper is not replaced by hydrochloric acid. In order to dissolve a penny in acid, it must be placed in nitric acid where it then dissolves into copper ions and changes the liquid's color from colorless to blue.

(From the Greek Kyprios, "Cyprus", noted for its copper mines) A reddish-brown, malleable, ductile, metallic chemical element that is corrosion-resistant and an excellent conductor of electricity and heat.

Symbol: Cu
Atomic number: 29
Atomic weight: 63.546
Density (at room temperature and pressure): 8.96 g/cc
Melting point: 1,084.62°C
Boiling point: 2,567°C
Valence: +1, +2
Ground state electron configuration: [Ar]3d¹⁰4s¹

The raster processing chip in the Amiga. It was a specific-purpose RISC chip whose sole purpose was to generate interrupts whenever a certain scan position on the display happened. This was used for many useful purposes; for example, one could change arbitrary colors in the palette at certain positions on the scan, leading to hardware-level drawing of yummy effects (such as a colorful bar slicing through and modifying the display). Other neat effects such as changing resolution and memory banks and sprite positions were also quite simple, and led to any number of cool things.

Many demo coders on the PC went to great lengths to emulate some of the functionality of the Copper chip using a very CPU-intensive polling technique. A good example of many Copper effects emulated on the PC was the demo entitled, simply enough, "Copper" (by Surprise Productions); unfortunately, by the time PCs were fast enough to decently emulate interrupt-driven behavior through rapid polling, hardware-level hackery such as this had long fallen out of vogue, especially since it'd be more effective use of the CPU to just emulate the effect itself (rather than the functionality behind it).

It'd be funny to see the looks on peoples' faces if they were to see a textmode copper bar nowadays, though, given how rare and unknown copper effects are nowadays.

Copper
Symbol: Cu
Atomic Number: 29
Boiling Point: 2840 K
Melting Point: 1356.5 K
Density at 300K: 8.96 g/cm³
Covalent radius: 1.17
Atomic radius: 1.57
Atomic volume: 7.10 cm³/mol
First ionization potental: 7.726 V
Specific heat capacity: 0.385 Jg^-1K^-1
Thermal conductivity: 401 Wm^-1K^-1
Electrical conductivity: 60.7 10⁶Ω^-1m^-1
Heat of fusion: 13.14 kJ/mol
Heat of vaporization: 300.5 kJ/mol
Electronegativity: 1.90 (Pauling's)

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To the Periodic Table

Copper was the codename for uranium during the Manhattan Project. Actual copper was described as "Honest-to-God Copper"

Copper is a good conductor when pure, is easily bent and doesn't corrode. This is a winning combination which makes it ideal for -

1. Water pipes and gas pipes, because it can be easily bent into shape (it's malleable) by hand, without fracturing.
2. Electrical wiring, because it can be easily bent around corners and conducts very well.
3. It forms useful non-corroding alloys such as brass and bronze.

The drawbacks of copper are its price and lack of strength.

copious free time = C = copy protection

copper n.

Conventional electron-carrying network cable with a core conductor of copper -- or aluminum! Opposed to light pipe or, say, a short-range microwave link.

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

Since copper is one of the most industrially most important metals, it is also one of the metals that is most viable to be recycled commercially. Mostly due to economic development in China, the price of copper has increased from about one dollar a pound at the start of the century to four dollars now.

Recyclable copper materials are sorted into several categories, depending on the quantity and ease of extraction of the copper inside of it. Near the top is pure copper, or close to pure copper, as would occur in certain type of heat sinks, plumbing and wires stripped of their insulation. Below that is materials that have sizable amounts of copper, such as engines, power supplies and insulated wires. And below that, in ever decreasing amounts, are the materials that have small amounts of copper hidden away in them. Most consumer electronics such as DVD players, stereos or VCRs are mostly plastic, but have a very small amount of copper in them. "A very small amount" is a relative term, though, since the average source of copper ore mined from the ground is still only around 1% copper. So a Tiger Handheld LCD game from 1984 that is 2% copper by weight is still very rich in relative terms. For this reason, even marginal sources of copper are economically viable for recycling.

Copper recycling is such a lucrative line of business that the theft of copper has become a major problem in some areas. In part fueled by the use of methamphetamine, thieves have taken to stripping copper wire from telephone poles, as well as other such acts. This leads to problems for everyone involved, and law enforcement agencies have attempted to curb this crime. That notwithstanding, the recycling of copper for industrial use is still an environmentally and economically important activity.

Cop"per (?), n. [OE. coper (cf. D. koper, Sw. koppar, Dan. kobber, G. kupfer), LL. cuper, fr. L. cuprum for earlier Cyprium, Cyprium aes, i.e., Cyprian brass, fr. Gr. Κυπριος of Cyprus (Gr. Κυπρος), anciently renowned for its copper mines. Cf. Cypreous.]

1.

A common metal of a reddish color, both ductile and malleable, and very tenacious. It is one of the best conductors of heat and electricity. Symbol Cu. Atomic weight 63.3. It is one of the most useful metals in itself, and also in its alloys, brass and bronze.

Copper is the only metal which occurs native abundantly in large masses; it is found also in various ores, of which the most important are chalcopyrite, chalcocite, cuprite, and malachite. Copper mixed with tin forms bell metal; with a smaller proportion, bronze; and with zinc, it forms brass, pinchbeck, and other alloys.

2.

A coin made of copper; a penny, cent, or other minor coin of copper.

[Colloq.]

My friends filled my pockets with coppers. Franklin.

3.

A vessel, especially a large boiler, made of copper.

4. pl. Specifically Naut.,

the boilers in the galley for cooking; as, a ship's coppers.

Copper is often used adjectively, commonly in the sense of made or consisting of copper, or resembling copper; as, a copper boiler, tube, etc.

All in a hot and copper sky. Coleridge.

It is sometimes written in combination; as, copperplate, coppersmith, copper-colored.

Copper finch. Zool. See Chaffinch. -- Copper glance, ∨ Vitreous copper. Min. See Chalcocite. -- Indigo copper. Min. See Covelline.

 

© Webster 1913.

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Cop"per, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Coppered (?); p.pr. & vb.n. Coppering.]

To cover or coat with copper; to sheathe with sheets of copper; as, to copper a ship.

 

© Webster 1913.