Cu - Copper

29
Cu
Copper

Copper Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements

Element 29 of Periodic table is Copper with atomic number 29, atomic weight 63.546. Copper, symbol Cu, has a Face Centered Cubic structure and Copper color. Copper is a Transition Metal element. It is part of group 11 (copper family). Know everything about Copper Facts, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Electronic configuration, Atomic and Crystal Structure.
29 Cu - Copper | SchoolMyKids

Copper is a chemical element with symbol Cu (from Latin:cuprum) 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 reddish-orange color.

It belongs to group 11 of the periodic table having trivial name coinage metals. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Copper in a PDF format.

Copper Facts

Read key information and facts about element Copper

NameCopper
Atomic Number29
Atomic SymbolCu
Atomic Weight63.546
PhaseSolid
ColorCopper
Appearancered-orange metallic luster
ClassificationTransition Metal
Natural OccurancePrimordial
Group in Periodic Table11
Group Namecopper family
Period in Periodic Tableperiod 4
Block in Periodic Tabled-block
Electronic Configuration[Ar] 3d10 4s1
Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell)2, 8, 18, 1
Melting Point1357.77 K
Boiling Point3200 K
CAS NumberCAS7440-50-8
Neighborhood Elements
123456789101112131415161718
1
1
H
Hydrogen
1.008

Atomic #

Electronic Shell #

Symbol
Name
Atomic Weight
HGas
HgLiquid
CSolid
Metals
Metalloids
NonMetals
Alkali metals
Alkali earth metals
Lanthanoids
Transition metals
Post-transition metals
Other nonmetals
Halogens
Nobel gas
Actinoids
2
He
Helium
4.003
2
3
Li
Lithium
6.941
4
Be
Beryllium
9.012
5
B
Boron
10.811
6
C
Carbon
12.011
7
N
Nitrogen
14.007
8
O
Oxygen
15.999
9
F
Fluorine
18.998
10
Ne
Neon
20.180
3
11
Na
Sodium
22.990
12
Mg
Magnesium
24.305
13
Al
Aluminium
26.982
14
Si
Silicon
28.085
15
P
Phosphorus
30.974
16
S
Sulfur
32.065
17
Cl
Chlorine
35.453
18
Ar
Argon
39.948
4
19
K
Potassium
39.098
20
Ca
Calcium
40.078
21
Sc
Scandium
44.956
22
Ti
Titanium
47.867
23
V
Vanadium
50.941
24
Cr
Chromium
51.996
25
Mn
Manganese
54.938
26
Fe
Iron
55.845
27
Co
Cobalt
58.933
28
Ni
Nickel
58.693
29
Cu
Copper
63.546
30
Zn
Zinc
65.409
31
Ga
Gallium
69.723
32
Ge
Germanium
72.640
33
As
Arsenic
74.922
34
Se
Selenium
78.960
35
Br
Bromine
79.904
36
Kr
Krypton
83.798
5
37
Rb
Rubidium
85.468
38
Sr
Strontium
87.620
39
Y
Yttrium
88.906
40
Zr
Zirconium
91.224
41
Nb
Niobium
92.906
42
Mo
Molybdenum
95.940
43
Tc
Technetium
98
44
Ru
Ruthenium
101.070
45
Rh
Rhodium
102.906
46
Pd
Palladium
106.420
47
Ag
Silver
107.868
48
Cd
Cadmium
112.411
49
In
Indium
114.818
50
Sn
Tin
118.710
51
Sb
Antimony
121.760
52
Te
Tellurium
127.600
53
I
Iodine
126.904
54
Xe
Xenon
131.293
6
55
Cs
Cesium
132.905
56
Ba
Barium
137.327
57 - 71
La - Lu
Lanthanides
72
Hf
Hafnium
178.490
73
Ta
Tantalum
180.948
74
W
Tungsten
183.840
75
Re
Rhenium
186.207
76
Os
Osmium
190.230
77
Ir
Iridium
192.217
78
Pt
Platinum
195.078
79
Au
Gold
196.967
80
Hg
Mercury
200.590
81
Tl
Thallium
204.383
82
Pb
Lead
207.200
83
Bi
Bismuth
208.980
84
Po
Polonium
209
85
At
Astatine
210
86
Rn
Radon
222
7
87
Fr
Francium
223
88
Ra
Radium
226
89 - 103
Ac - Lr
Actinides
104
Rf
Rutherfordium
261
105
Db
Dubnium
262
106
Sg
Seaborgium
266
107
Bh
Bohrium
264
108
Hs
Hassium
269
109
Mt
Meitnerium
268
110
Ds
Darmstadtium
281
111
Rg
Roentgenium
272
112
Cn
Copernicium
285
113
Nh
Nihonium
284
114
Fl
Flerovium
289
115
Mc
Moscovium
288
116
Lv
Livermorium
292
117
Ts
Tennessine
294
118
Og
Oganesson
294
Lanthanides
57
La
Lanthanum
138.905
58
Ce
Cerium
140.116
59
Pr
Praseodymium
140.908
60
Nd
Neodymium
144.240
61
Pm
Promethium
145
62
Sm
Samarium
150.360
63
Eu
Europium
151.964
64
Gd
Gadolinium
157.250
65
Tb
Terbium
158.925
66
Dy
Dysprosium
162.500
67
Ho
Holmium
164.930
68
Er
Erbium
167.259
69
Tm
Thulium
168.934
70
Yb
Ytterbium
173.040
71
Lu
Lutetium
174.967
Actinides
89
Ac
Actinium
227
90
Th
Thorium
232.038
91
Pa
Protactinium
231.036
92
U
Uranium
238.029
93
Np
Neptunium
237
94
Pu
Plutonium
244
95
Am
Americium
243
96
Cm
Curium
247
97
Bk
Berkelium
247
98
Cf
Californium
251
99
Es
Einsteinium
252
100
Fm
Fermium
257
101
Md
Mendelevium
258
102
No
Nobelium
259
103
Lr
Lawrencium
262

How to Locate Copper on Periodic Table

Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 29 to find Copper on periodic table.

Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Copper on periodic table look for cross section of group 11 and period 4 in the modern periodic table.

Copper History

The element Copper was discovered by Middle East in year 9000 BCE . Copper was first isolated by Anatolia in 6000 BCE. Copper derived its name from English word (Latin cuprum).

Discovered By Middle East
Discovery Date 9000 BCE
First Isolation
Isolated by

Copper was probably the first metal mined and crafted by humans. It was originally obtained as a native metal and later from the smelting of ores. Earliest estimates of the discovery of copper suggest around 9000 BCE in the Middle East. It was one of the most important materials to humans throughout the Chalcolithic and Bronze Ages. Copper beads dating from 6000 BCE have been found in Çatal Höyük , Anatolia.

Copper Uses

Copper is one of the best conductors of electricity, which leads to its use in electronics and motors. Copper is also very thermally conductive an is used in radiators, A/C units, and heating systems.

Copper Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us

The table below shows the abundance of Copper in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.

 ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %)ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %)
Abundance in Universe601
Abundance in Sun70010
Abundance in Meteorites11000031000
Abundance in Earth's Crust6800022000
Abundance in Oceans30.29
Abundance in Humans100099

Crystal Structure of Copper

The solid state structure of Copper is Face Centered Cubic.

The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.

Unit Cell Parameters

The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)

abc
361.49 pm361.49 pm361.49 pm

and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).

alphabetagamma
π/2 π/2 π/2

The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.

The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.

Space Group NameFm_ 3m
Space Group Number225
Crystal StructureFace Centered Cubic
Number of atoms per unit cell4
29 Cu Copper - Crystal Structure | SchoolMyKids

The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.

Copper Atomic and Orbital Properties

Copper atoms have 29 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 1] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 2S1/2.

Atomic Number29
Number of Electrons (with no charge)29
Number of Protons29
Mass Number64
Number of Neutrons35
Shell structure (Electrons per energy level)2, 8, 18, 1
Electron Configuration[Ar] 3d10 4s1
Valence Electrons3d10 4s1
Valence (Valency)2
Main Oxidation States1, 2
Oxidation States-2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4
Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers)2S1/2

Bohr Atomic Model of Copper - Electrons per energy level

29 Cu Copper Electron Shell Structure | SchoolMyKids
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Ground State Electronic Configuration of Copper - neutral Copper atom

Abbreviated electronic configuration of Copper

The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Copper atom is [Ar] 3d10 4s1. The portion of Copper configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Ar]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 3d10 4s1, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.

Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Copper

Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Copper atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration

1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1

Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.

As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…

The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.

Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.

Electron configuration of Copper

Atomic Structure of Copper

Copper atomic radius is 145 pm, while it's covalent radius is 138 pm.

Atomic Radius Calculated145 pm(1.45 Å)
Atomic Radius Empirical135 pm (1.35 Å)
Atomic Volume7.124 cm3/mol
Covalent Radius138 pm (1.38 Å)
Van der Waals Radius140 pm
Neutron Cross Section3.78
Neutron Mass Absorption 0.0021

Spectral Lines of Copper - Atomic Spectrum of Copper

A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.

Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.

Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.

Emission spectrum of Copper

Emission Spectrum of Copper | SchoolMyKids

Absorption spectrum of Copper

Absorption Spectrum of Copper | SchoolMyKids

Copper Chemical Properties: Copper Ionization Energies and electron affinity

The electron affinity of Copper is 118.4 kJ/mol.

Valence2
Electronegativity1.9
ElectronAffinity118.4 kJ/mol

Ionization Energy of Copper

Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).

Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Copper

Ionization energy numberEnthalpy - kJ/mol
1st745.5
2nd1957.9
3rd3555
4th5536
5th7700
6th9900
7th13400
8th16000
9th19200
10th22400
11th25600
12th35600
13th38700
14th42000
15th46700
16th50200
17th53700
18th61100
19th64702
20th163700
21st174100
22nd184900
23rd198800
24th210500
25th222700
26th239100
27th249660
28th1067358
29th1116105

Copper Physical Properties

Refer to below table for Copper Physical Properties

Density8.92 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $8.02 g/cm3)
Molar Volume7.124 cm3/mol

Elastic Properties

Young Modulus130
Shear Modulus48 GPa
Bulk Modulus 140 GPa
Poisson Ratio0.34

Hardness of Copper - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element

Mohs Hardness3 MPa
Vickers Hardness369 MPa
Brinell Hardness874 MPa

Copper Electrical Properties

Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).

Copper is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Copper

Electrical conductors Conductor
Electrical Conductivity59000000 S/m
Resistivity1.7e-8 m Ω
Superconducting Point-

Copper Heat and Conduction Properties

Thermal Conductivity400 W/(m K)
Thermal Expansion0.0000165 /K

Copper Magnetic Properties

Magnetic TypeDiamagnetic
Curie Point-
Mass Magnetic Susceptibility-1.08e-9 m3/kg
Molar Magnetic Susceptibility-6.86e-11 m3/mol
Volume Magnetic Susceptibility-0.00000963

Optical Properties of Copper

Refractive Index-

Acoustic Properties of Copper

Speed of Sound3570 m/s

Copper Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics

Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Copper

Melting Point1357.77 K(1084.62 °C, 1984.316 °F)
Boiling Point3200 K(2926.85 °C, 5300.330 °F)
Critical Temperature-
Superconducting Point-

Enthalpies of Copper

Heat of Fusion13.1 kJ/mol
Heat of Vaporization300 kJ/mol
Heat of Combustion-

Copper Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Copper

Copper has 29 isotopes, with between 52 and 80 nucleons. Copper has 2 stable naturally occuring isotopes.

Isotopes of Copper - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 63Cu, 65Cu.

IsotopeZNIsotope Mass% AbundanceT halfDecay Mode
52Cu292352Synthetic
53Cu292453Synthetic
54Cu292554Synthetic
55Cu292655Synthetic
56Cu292756Synthetic
57Cu292857Synthetic
58Cu292958Synthetic
59Cu293059Synthetic
60Cu293160Synthetic
61Cu293261Synthetic
62Cu293362Synthetic
63Cu29346369.17%StableN/A
64Cu293564SyntheticStable
65Cu29366530.83%StableN/A
66Cu293766Synthetic
67Cu293867Synthetic
68Cu293968Synthetic
69Cu294069Synthetic
70Cu294170Synthetic
71Cu294271Synthetic
72Cu294372Synthetic
73Cu294473Synthetic
74Cu294574Synthetic
75Cu294675Synthetic
76Cu294776Synthetic
77Cu294877Synthetic
78Cu294978Synthetic
79Cu295079Synthetic
80Cu295180Synthetic

Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.

Flammable solids, self-reactive substances and solid desensitized explosives

NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.

The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.

NFPA Fire Rating1Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Health Rating1 Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F)
NFPA Reactivity Rating0 Will not burn
NFPA Hazards
Autoignition Point-
Flashpoint-

Database Search

List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases

DatabaseIdentifier number
CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)CAS7440-50-8
RTECS NumberRTECSGL5325000
CID Number CID23978
Gmelin Number-
NSC Number-

Compare Copper with other elements

Compare Copper with Group 11, Period 4 and Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.

Compare Copper with all Group 11 elements

Compare Copper with all Period 4 elements

Compare Copper with all Transition Metal elements

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Copper

The electronic configuration of Copper is 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1.

The abbreviated electronic configuration of Copper is [Ar] 3d10 4s1. To form abbreviated notation of electronic configuration, the completely filled subshells are replaced by the noble gas of the preceding period in square brackets.

Symbol of Copper is Cu. Copper is a chemical element with symbol Cu and atomic number 29.

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. Copper is the 29 element on the periodic table. It is located in group 11 and period 4 in the modern periodic table.

The atomic number of Copper is 29.

Copper is of Copper color.

The element Copper was discovered by Middle East in year 9000 BCE . Copper was first isolated by Anatolia in 6000 BCE.

Copper has 2 valence electrons. Copper has 29 electrons out of which 2 valence electrons are present in the 3d10 4s1 outer orbitals of atom.

Melting Point of Copper is 1357.77 K.

Boiling Point of Copper is 3200 K.

Melting Point of Copper in Kelvin is 1357.77 K.

Boiling Point of Copper in Kelvin is 3200 K.

Melting Point of Copper in Celsius is 1084.62 °C.

Boiling Point of Copper in Celsius is 2926.85 °C.

Melting Point of Copper in Fahrenheit is 1984.32 °F.

Boiling Point of Copper in Fahrenheit is 5300.33 °F.

The electronic configuration of Copper will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1.

The electronic configuration of Copper will be 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s1.