What Is the Formula for Copper?

Misconceptions

• A chemical formula is a set of symbols used to stand for a chemical composition. It is a representation of the composition of a chemical compound using symbols for the atoms of which it is composed. A molecular formula is a type of chemical formula that specifies which atoms and how many of each atom there are in a molecule of a compound.

  Copper is an element. Elements consist of atoms with the same number of protons in their nuclei as electrons in their orbital shells. As an element, copper cannot be broken down into simpler parts through a chemical reaction. Since there are no "parts," there is no chemical formula for putting copper together. The chemical symbol for copper is Cu. It is a transition metal located on the Periodic Table of Elements in between zinc and nickel in Group Eleven.

Identification

• An atomic number is the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom of an element and its isotopes. This is the number used to establish that element's location in the periodic table. Copper's atomic number is 29.
  Copper has four shells with the 29 electrons spread throughout them. Starting from the inner shell, the electrons in a copper atom are distributed as follows: 2, 8, 18 and 1.
  An isotope is two or more forms of a chemical element with the same atomic number but different numbers of neutrons. Copper is found naturally as either of these two isotopes: 63Cu, stable at 34 neutrons, and 65Cu, stable at 36 neutrons. 63Cu makes up 69.15 percent of the natural abundance of copper and 65Cu makes up the remaining 30.85 percent. There are many different constructed isotopes in addition to these.

Considerations

• Copper is part of the formula for certain mineral compounds, or ores, from which it can be mined. Two of the better known minerals are malachite and azurite, which belong to the carbonates. The formulas for these minerals are Cu2CO3(OH)2 and Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 respectively.
  Copper is also used to create a number of alloys such as bronze, speculum and cupronickel, also called Monel metal.

Benefits

• Because of its "formula" natural copper is a natural anti-bacterial substance. This makes it an ideal metal for health facilities such as hospitals. Many metals must be extracted from an ore, though a few can be found in pure form. Copper is one of those few.

Size

• Atomic weight is the same as relative atomic mass. Relative atomic mass is the ratio of the average mass per atom of an element to one twelfth of the mass of a carbon-12 atom. The standard atomic weight of copper is 63.546(3) g•mol∧1