Copper Mineral Data

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General Copper Information

Chemical Formula:

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 63.55 gm

Copper 100.00 % Cu

______

100.00 %

Empirical Formula:

Environment:

Cap rock of copper sulfide veins and in some types of volcanic rocks.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) Prehistoric

Locality:

Northern Michigan, USA, Cyprus island, Greece. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

From the Greek, Kyprios, the name of the island of Cyprus, once producing this metal.

Name Pronunciation:

Copper

Synonym:

Cuivre

ICSD 64699

Kupfer

PDF 4-836

Copper Image

Images:

Copper

Comments: Native copper forming a branching cluster of crystals with some massive calcite.
Location: Houghton County, Michigan, USA. Scale: Crystal size 1.5 cm.
© Dan Weinrich

Copper Crystallography

Cell Dimensions:

a = 3.615, Z = 4; V = 47.24 Den(Calc)= 8.93

Crystal System:

Isometric - HexoctahedralH-M Symbol (4/m 3 2/m) Space Group: F m3m

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.088(1), 1.808(0.46), 1.278(0.2),

Forms:

Mouse
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Drag1 - Manipulate Crystal
Drag2 - Resize
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Forms: ( 1 1 1) ( 0 1 1) ( 0 1 0) ( 1 0 0)

Warning: this large pop-up is very compute intensive and may not work well with some computers.

Crystal Structure:

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Wyckoff R W G , Crystal Structures , 1 (1963) p.7-83, Second edition. Interscience Publishers, New York, New York, Cubic closest packed, ccp, structure

Physical Properties of Copper

Cleavage:

None

Color:

Brown, Copper red, Light pink, Red.

Density:

8.94 - 8.95, Average = 8.94

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Fracture:

Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).

Habit:

Arborescent - "Tree like" growths of branched systems (e.g. silver).

Habit:

Nodular - Tuberose forms having irregular protuberances over the surface.

Hardness:

2.5-3 - Finger Nail-Calcite

Luminescence:

Non-fluorescent.

Luster:

Metallic

Magnetism:

Nonmagnetic

Streak:

rose

Optical Properties of Copper

RL Color:

Rose-white.

Reflectivity

**Standardized Intensity (100%) Reflection Spectra of Copper in Air**
λ	R	∑ R(λ)
400 nm	35.20
420 nm	37.70
440 nm	40.20
460 nm	42.20
480 nm	43.80
500 nm	45.00
520 nm	46.00
540 nm	47.60
560 nm	52.60
580 nm	63.90
600 nm	71.00
620 nm	75.40
640 nm	78.50
660 nm	81.00
680 nm	83.20
700 nm	85.20

**Calculated Relative Intensity Colors of Copper in Air**
Relative Intensity	0%	30%	60%	90%	100%	120%	150%	180%	210%	220%
R

Calculated Properties of Copper

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=8.15 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Copper =8.93 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0
Boson Index = 1

Photoelectric:

PE_Copper= 45.98 barns/electron
U=PE_Copper x rElectron Density= 374.77 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Copper is Not Radioactive

Copper Classification

Dana Class:

01.01.01.03 (01)Native Elements

(01.01)with metallic elements other than the platinum group

(01.01.01)Gold group

01.01.01.01 Gold Au F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.02 Silver Ag F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.03 Copper Cu F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.04 Lead Pb F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.01.01.05 Aluminum Al F m3m,P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Strunz Class:

01.AA.05 01 - ELEMENTS (Metals and intermetallic alloys; metalloids and nonmetals; carbides, silicides, nitrides, phosphides)

01.A - Metals and Intermetallic Alloys

01.AA -Copper-cupalite family

01.AA.05 Aluminum Al F m3m,P m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Copper Cu F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Lead Pb F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Gold Au F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Nickel Ni F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

01.AA.05 Silver Ag F m3m 4/m 3 2/m

Other Copper Information

References:

NAME( Sinkankas66) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(AntBidBlaNic1)

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Ask about Copper here :
Ask-A-Mineralogist from the Mineralogical Society of America
Mindat.org's Discussion Groups
Original Rockhounds Discussion Group
Rockhounds Discussion Group on Yahoo Groups
Mineral Discussion Forum from Fabre Minerals - also available in Español

Print or Cut-and-Paste your Copper Specimen Label here :

Copper

Cu
Dana No: 01.01.01.03 Strunz No: 01.AA.05
Locality:

Notes: