Is copper wire a pure substance (why or why?)
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To be classified as a pure substance, an element or compound must be composed of one type of atom or molecule. Air, water and nitrogen are common examples of pure substances. But what about copper? Is copper wire a pure substance?
Yes, copper wire is a pure substance. It consists only of copper atoms. However, this statement is not always true. Sometimes copper wire can be mixed with other metals. When this happens, we cannot classify the copper wire as a pure substance.
Is copper a pure substance (why or why not)?
We can classify copper as a pure substance given that this metal contains only copper atoms. Here is the electron and proton distribution of copper.
Why can't copper be pure?
As mentioned above, to be a pure substance, an element or compound must contain only one type of building block. It could be an element like gold or a compound like salt.
Tip: Salt is formed from sodium and chlorine.
However, these elements and compounds will not exist in their pure form all the time. Thus, copper can be mixed with other substances. For example, due to pollution, copper can mix with other substances.
Although we label copper as a pure substance, you may find pieces of copper that are not pure copper.
Is copper an element?
Yes, with the symbol Cu, copper is an element that has the characteristics of a soft and ductile metal. Copper is number 29 on the periodic table. Inside the copper metal, you can only find copper atoms.
Copper has a high electrical conductivity. The exposed copper surface will have a pinkish-orange color.
Any known substance that cannot be divided into other substances is called an element. For example, oxygen is an element. And hydrogen is an element. But water is not an element. Water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen atoms. Therefore, it can be divided into two different substances.
Is copper a compound?
No, copper is not a compound. To be considered a compound, two different substances must form a bond with each other. For example, carbon dioxide is a compound. It is made up of carbon and oxygen.
Is copper a mixture?
No, copper is not a mixture. To be classified as a mixture, the target substance must be composed of two or more different substances. However, these substances must exist in the same physical region. In addition, the substance must remain unbound.
Copper consists of only one substance, and therefore copper is not a mixture.
However, some copper products may be labeled as a mixture. For example, manufacturers mix other metals with copper to change their physical characteristics. Here are some examples of copper mixtures.
- Sliding metal (Cu - 95% and Zn - 5%)
- Cartridge brass (Cu - 70% and Zn - 30%)
- Phosphor bronze (Cu – 89.75 % and Sn – 10 %, P – 0.25 %)
If you're looking for a few other examples, salt water and sugar water are the most commonly used mixtures you come across on a daily basis.
What can copper wire contain?
Most of the time, copper wire can be classified as a pure substance. It consists only of copper atoms. However, as mentioned earlier, some manufacturers add other metals to change the physical characteristics of the copper wire. These changes are initiated to improve the strength and durability of copper wire. The most common examples are brass, titanium and bronze. Therefore, if we consider the copper wire as a whole, then the copper wire is not a pure substance.
Is copper wire a mixture?
It depends on the type of copper wire. If the copper wire only includes pure copper, we cannot consider the copper wire as a mixture. But if the copper wire contains other metals, it can be labeled as a mixture.
Is copper wire a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture?
Before knowing the type of copper wire compound, you need to better understand the different types of compound. Basically there are two types of mixtures; Homogeneous mixture or heterogeneous mixture. (1)
Homogeneous mixture
If the materials in a mixture are chemically homogeneous, we call it a homogeneous mixture.
heterogeneous mixture
If the materials in a mixture are chemically heterogeneous, we call it a heterogeneous mixture.
Therefore, when it comes to copper wire, if it consists only of copper, we can call it a homogeneous substance. Remember, copper wire is only a homogeneous substance, not a homogeneous mixture.
However, if the copper wire is composed of other metals, this mixture is homogeneous.
Keep in mind: It is possible to find types of copper wires that are not chemically homogeneous. This is due to a manufacturing defect. This means that the copper wire does not act as a strong metal. But, with modern technology, it is difficult to find such copper wires.
difference between pure substance and mixture
A pure substance has only one type of atom or one type of molecule. These molecules must be formed from only one kind of material.
So, as you understand, copper has only one type of atom, and this is a pure substance.
What about liquid water?
Liquid water is made up of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, and they form H2O. In addition, liquid water consists only of H2Molecules O. Because of this, liquid water is a pure substance. In addition, table salt, aka NaCl, is a pure substance. NaCl contains only sodium and chlorine atoms.
Things that are made up of different types of molecules or atoms that don't have a regular structure are known as mixtures. The best example is vodka.
Vodka is made up of ethanol molecules and water molecules. These molecules mix with each other in an irregular manner. So, vodka is a mixture. Salami can also be classified as a mixture. It contains fats and proteins composed of different molecules. (2)
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Recommendations
(1) Homogeneous mixture or heterogeneous mixture - https://www.thoughtco.com/heterogeneous-and-homogeneous-mixtures-606106
(2) Vodka – https://www.forbes.com/sites/joemicallef/2021/10/01/the-spirits-masters-announces-the-worlds-best-vodkas/
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