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Copper Energy Absorption Characteristics

Copper is a common metal found in many items due to its characteristics; some of the characteristics have to do with energy absorption. When heat, one form of energy, interacts with copper, there are a few things that can happen: when copper is combusted, it gives off a bluish-green light. How easily the copper can be heated is another characteristic associated with the absorption of energy.

Energy Overview
- Energy comes in many different forms, including heat, light and sound. The temperature of an object is an extension of the amount of energy it has. Inside a given object, there are molecules that are vibrating very rapidly next to each other. As energy is absorbed by the object, the amount of kinetic energy is also raised, which results in an increase in temperature. One important aspect of energy is that it cannot be created of destroyed, only converted from one form to another. For example, copper can be heated enough that light energy will be given off as well.
Specific Heat
- When a substance is heated, the energy is absorbed in a way that is unique to each compound. The amount of energy that is needed to raise one gram of copper by one degree Celsius is referred to as the specific heat. Copper's specific heat is 0.385 Joules per gram-degree Celsius. Copper can be heated fairly easily compared to water, which has a specific heat of 4.17 Joules per gram-degree Celsius. This means that it takes nearly 10 times the amount of energy to heat an equal amount of water to the same increase in temperature.
Combustion
- Copper is a transitional metal and has a unique electron configuration that allows for colored light to be emitted when it is burned. When its electrons gain energy, they are temporarily placed into a higher energy level. Since this is an unstable state for the electrons, they tend to fall back to the previous energy level. On the descent, energy is given off by the electron in the form of light. A bluish-green light is characteristic. It is easier to see this example of energy absorption by performing a flame test.
Expansion
- Another characteristic of energy absorption involves the principle of temperature and kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy found in copper increases as the temperature increases. More particles are moving faster, vibrating off each other, which leads to expansion. As more energy is introduced, the more expansion it undergoes, leading to a physical state change. Copper has a melting point of 1083 degrees Celsius. Melted copper takes up more space than when it is in the solid form.

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