All About Copper

What is Copper?

Copper is a metal. It has a red-brown color. You can find copper in the ground. People use copper to make lots of things.[^1]

Copper has been with us for a very long time! The first copper thing was made a long, long time ago. It was a small pendant from a place called Mesopotamia. That was in the year 8,700 BC.[^2]

Why Copper is So Good

Copper can do many cool things:

• It lets electricity go through it very well
• You can bend it and it will not break
• It does not rust like other metals do
• It can kill bad germs that make you sick

Let me tell you more about why copper is so helpful.

Copper Helps Electricity

Copper is very good at letting electricity go through it. Only silver is better, but silver costs too much. That is why we use copper for:

• Wires in your house
• Motors that make things spin
• Phones and computers

Did you know? Half of all copper in the world is used for electricity![^3]

You Can Make Copper Into Shapes

Copper is very soft. You can:

• Hit it to make it flat
• Pull it to make it long
• Bend it into new shapes

This is why people use copper to make pipes, pots and parts for roofs.

Copper Turns Green

When copper sits in air for a long time, it turns green. This green coat is called a patina. This green layer:

• Keeps the copper safe
• Stops it from getting hurt
• Looks very pretty

The Statue of Liberty is green because it is made of copper. It has 80 tons of copper that is very thin. It took 30 years to turn all green![^4]

Copper Stops Germs

Copper can kill bad things like:

• Bacteria that make you sick
• Viruses that cause illness

Hospitals use copper on things people touch. This helps stop germs from making people sick. Tests show it can cut down infections by 58%![^5]

Copper Long Ago

People have used copper for a very, very long time.

The First Metal Tools

A long time ago, people used stone tools. Then they found they could make tools from copper. This time was called the Copper Age. Later, they mixed copper with tin to make bronze. This time was called the Bronze Age.

Bronze is harder than just copper alone. It can make better tools.

Old Places That Used Copper

Many old groups of people used copper:

• Egypt used it for tools and art
• Rome made coins from it
• China made pots and tools with it

How We Get Copper

Copper comes from rocks in the ground.

Copper Rocks

Copper is found in special rocks called ore. Here are some types:

• Chalcopyrite: a yellow rock with copper
• Chalcocite: a dark rock with copper
• Malachite: a green rock with copper

Getting Copper Out

There are two main ways to get copper:

1. Big holes in the ground called open-pit mines
2. Tunnels under the ground called underground mines

After we dig up the rocks, we need to get the copper out. This takes many steps:

1. Crush the rocks into small bits
2. Use bubbles to float copper bits to the top
3. Heat very hot to melt the copper
4. Make the copper very pure

Where Copper Comes From

In 2022, the world dug up 21 million tons of copper. The top places were:

• Chile: 27%
• Peru: 10%
• Australia: 6%[^6]

Copper Can Be Used Again

One of the best things about copper is you can use it over and over. This is called recycling.

Did you know? 80% of all the copper ever dug up is still being used today! You can melt old copper and make new things with it. Copper can be recycled 100% of the time.[^7]

What We Use Copper For

Copper is in many things you see and use every day.

In Your House

Copper is in many parts of your home:

• Wires that bring electricity
• Pipes that bring water
• Locks on your doors
• Pots for cooking

In Big Buildings

Big buildings use copper for:

• Roofs that last a long time
• Pipes that move water
• Wires that bring power

In Cars and Buses

Cars need copper to work. A normal car has about 40 pounds of copper. But an electric car needs much more – about 183 pounds! That is three times more copper.[^8]

In Wind and Sun Power

Copper helps make clean energy:

• Wind turbines need 8 tons of copper each
• Solar panels need copper to work well
• Batteries that store power use copper

By 2040, we will need 300% more copper just for clean energy![^9]

See How Copper Is Used

Thing	How Much Copper	What For
House	400 pounds	Wires, pipes, locks
Normal Car	40 pounds	Motors, wires
Electric Car	183 pounds	Battery, motors, wires
Wind Turbine	8 tons	Generators, cables
Statue of Liberty	80 tons	The green skin

Copper and Our Health

Your body needs a little bit of copper to be healthy.

Copper in Food

Some foods have copper in them:

• Nuts like cashews
• Seeds like sunflower seeds
• Beans and peas
• Liver from animals

You only need a very small amount of copper each day.

Copper in Medicine

Doctors use copper in some medical things:

• Birth control that goes in the body
• Bracelets that some people wear for health
• Tools that do not spread germs

Copper and Our Earth

Copper is good for our planet in many ways.

Copper Helps Clean Energy

Copper is a big part of green energy. It lets us:

• Make wind power
• Use sun for electricity
• Run cars without gas

These things help cut down on pollution. By 2040, copper will help cut 1.1 gigatons of carbon dioxide. That is a very big number![^10]

Copper Will Be More Important

We will need more copper in the future. By 2040, we will need three times more copper just for clean energy. This is good for our Earth, but we need to make sure we get copper in ways that do not hurt our planet.

Fun Facts About Copper

• Copper melts at 1,984°F (1,085°C)
• A copper penny is not all copper – it just has a copper coat
• The word “copper” comes from the island of Cyprus, where old Romans got copper
• Copper makes a bell sound very nice
• If you put copper in water, it will not rust
• The Statue of Liberty has as much copper as 30 million pennies!

Why Copper Matters

Copper is all around you. Look for the red-brown metal in your house. See if you can find:

• Wires
• Coins
• Pots
• Pipes

Copper has been with us for a long, long time. It will be with us for a long time to come. From old tools to new electric cars and solar panels, copper helps us live better.

Now you know all about copper! It is an old metal that helps make new things. It moves electricity, fights germs, and helps keep our Earth clean. Copper is truly a special metal!

[^1]: International Copper Association – History of copper use dating back to ancient civilizations. [^2]: International Copper Association – Oldest copper pendant from Mesopotamia, dated 8,700 BC. [^3]: Copper.org – Approximately 50% of global copper usage is for electrical applications. [^4]: Copper.org – The Statue of Liberty contains 80 tons of copper sheeting, 3/32 inch thick. [^5]: Copper.org – Clinical trials showed 58% reduction in infections when copper surfaces were used in ICUs. [^6]: Geoscience Australia – 2022 global copper production statistics showing Chile (27%), Peru (10%), Australia (6%). [^7]: Copper.org – 80% of all copper ever mined is still in use today, and it’s 100% recyclable. [^8]: Kupfer.de – Electric vehicles contain 183 lbs of copper, approximately three times more than conventional vehicles. [^9]: Geoscience Australia – Projected 300% increase in copper demand for renewable energy by 2040.