
Copper
Copper is a metal that occurs naturally throughout the environment, in rocks, soil, water, and air. Copper is an essential element in plants and animals (including humans), which means it is necessary for us to live. Therefore, plants and animals must absorb some copper from eating, drinking, and breathing. Copper is used to make many different kinds of products like wire, plumbing pipes, and sheet metal. U.S. pennies made before 1982 are made of copper, while those made after 1982 are only coated with copper. Copper is also combined with other metals to make brass and bronze pipes and faucets. Copper compounds are commonly used in agriculture to treat plant diseases like mildew, for water treatment and, as preservatives for wood, leather, and fabrics. — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- IUPAC name
- copper
- Molecular formula
- Cu
- Molecular weight
- 63.55 g/mol
- Exact mass
- 62.929597 Da
- Topological polar surface area
- 0.0 Ų
- Hydrogen-bond donors
- 0
- Hydrogen-bond acceptors
- 0
- Covalent units
- 1
- Defined stereocentres
- 0
Also known as
16 more reported names
External database identifiers
- ChEBI:CHEBI:28694
- ChEBI:CHEBI:29037
- ChEBI:CHEBI:30052
- EPA DTXSID:DTXSID2023985
- PubMed:27049134
- PubMed:19906252
- PubMed:17531610
- PubMed:14652164
Retrieved from NIH PubChem on 2026-09-02 by checksum-valid CAS matching. Chemical properties do not replace the regulatory decision on this page.