Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number twenty-nine. It is also a solid at room temperature. Copper was most likely the first element ever manipulated by humans. In fact, humans discovered copper during the Paleolithic era. Copper was also very important during the copper and bronze age. Copper is also a very important element in the medical field. Also, the united states penny was originally made from pure copper. Finally, the Statue of Liberty did not always look green. Copper was the first element manipulated by humans. It is now, currently still a major metal industry. The oldest metal object was found in Jordan, Israel and dates back to more than six-thousand years ago. Humans have been making objects out of copper at least eight thousand years. Early homo …show more content…
Today, however, the penny consists of ninety-seven and a half percent zinc with only a thin copper skin. Copper holds the third spot in most consumed industrial metals, according to U.S Geological Survey. In fact, electrical wires, telecommunication cables and electronics make up three-quarters of copper. Besides gold, copper is the the only other element that is not naturally silver/grey. Today, about two thirds of copper comes from is found in volcanic rocks. However, only about a quarter comes from sedimentary rocks. According to USGS. The Statue of Liberty was not always the green color it is now. The Statue of Liberty used to be a dull brown. It slowly turned to the green color because the copper undergoes a oxidation reaction. In definition, an oxidation reaction is when any chemical reaction in which the oxidation number of a molecule, atom, or ion changes by gaining or losing an electron. A weathered layer of copper oxide covers Lady Liberty that weighs about eighty tons. The color from brown to green only took thirty-four years after the statues construction, according to the New York Historical