Copper

This is the element Copper. Note that it’s classified as a Native Element Mineral. Native Copper has all the characteristics required of minerals. Minerals must be naturally occurring, inorganic solids with distinct chemical compositions and physical properties, as well as an orderly arrangement of atoms within a crystalline lattice. Since Copper has all these characteristics, it’s rightfully classified as both an element and a mineral. Thus, Copper belongs to the Native Element chemical family. Copper has a metallic luster and a metallic red streak. It ranks 3 on Mohs hardness scale, which is relatively soft compared to many other metals. It does not exhibit any cleavage but is instead quite malleable and ductile. Ductile means that a material exhibits a permanently deformed shape after the application of stress. Its specific gravity is 8.9, which makes even a very small amount feel quite heavy in your hand. Copper’s physical properties make it especially valuable as an electricity conductor, which is why it’s commonly used for wiring and electrical circuitry. It’s also used extensively in plumbing applications. Billions of people use Copper every single day. For example, your home and workplace likely contain Copper wires that route electricity to light fixtures and outlets. Copper is also highly valued in cookware because it has excellent heat conductivity and rapidly responds to temperature changes. Copper Sulfate, a compound containing Copper, Sulfur and Oxygen, is an important fungicide and bactericide and is often used to protect crops from diseases such as Powdery Mildew and Fire Blight.