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Element Research: Iron and Copper

Iron and copper are two very important metals that help us with so much and they are

both found on this earth. First off, iron is very resourceful element because it has been used since

ancient times and it has played a big part in the development of America. There is no specific

time where iron was discovered, but it is one of the oldest metals on our earth. Iron has an atomic

number of 26 and the atomic symbol is Fe. ​Naturally occurring isotopes of iron: 5.845% of 54Fe,

91.754% of 56Fe, 2.119% of 57Fe and 0.282% of 58Fe.

Iron is a brittle, hard substance, classified as a metal in ​Group 8​ on the ​Periodic Table of

the Elements​. ​Ninety percent of all metal that is refined these days is iron. ​In ​its most pure state it

can rapidly corrode from exposure to moist air and high temperatures.

Without iron, there would be no steel or ways that we could do blacksmith’s shops. This

metal is also most commonly used in war machines and can be created into a weapon. Although

it is most commonly used in the industrial world, iron is also most commonly found in the

human body. It’s job in the human body is to help carry enough oxygen to your blood. Iron is the

sixth most common element in the whole universe, and is also the fourth most abundant element

in the Earth’s crust by weight. Iron can be classified as having the position of being the most

abundant element in the total composition of this universe.

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Copper plays an important role in everyday life as well. Not only is copper in our

pennies, but copper is used to sanitize and clean our water! Often referred to as “Man's eternal

metal” copper is highly durable and can be used in all applications of our everyday lives. Copper

is 100% recyclable and nearly 80% of the copper that has been produced is still in use today.

This precious metal can continue to be recycled without any changes to its properties. In fact, it

retains 95% of its original value.

​The discovery of copper dates from prehistoric times. There are reports of copper beads

dating back to 9000 B.C. found in Iraq. Methods for refining copper from its ores were

discovered around 5000 B.C. and a 1000 years later it was being used in pottery in North Africa.

Copper’s atomic number is 29 and its atomic symbol is Cu. Copper has 24 isotopes

whose half-lives are known, with mass numbers 57 to 80. Naturally occurring copper is a

mixture of its two stable isotopes, 63Cu and 65Cu, with natural abundances of 69.2% and 30.8%

respectively. ​Unstable copper isotopes with atomic masses below 63 tend to undergo β​+​ decay.

Copper is everywhere: TVs, radios, electrical wiring, plumbing, washers and dryers. It is often

alloyed with zinc or tin to make brass or bronze, giving it a golden-like color. Many of the

historic statues that we have today, are made of copper or have some form of copper. The Statue

of Liberty has 179,000 pounds of copper in it. It was also discovered that the Dead Sea scrolls

were made with copper as well as animal skins.