Blake Adams Period 3
Grade 8 2/5/97
Copper Report
Copper is a mineral. it is not a plant or a animal. Copper is a
metallic metal. It can never be broken down into differnet substances by
normal chemical means. Copper was one of the first metals known to humans.
People liked it because in it's native condition, it could easily be beaten into
weapons or tools. Copper has been one of the most useful metals for over
5000 years. Copper was probably used around 8000 B.C by people living
along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In 6000 B.C, Egyptians learned how to
hammer copper into things they wanted. Around 3500 B.C, People first
learned how to melt copper with tin to make bronze. So the period between
3000 B.C and 1100 B.C became known as the bronze age.
Today, some of the leading states of the copper industry
are Arizona with 747,000 short tons, Utah with 187,000 short tons, New
Mexico with 161,000 short tons.
Bornite
Chalcocite, a copper ore mineral.
English: Macro of Malachite (copper ore). It is 4 ...Some other leading countries are Chile with
1,422,000 short tons, United States with 1,203,000 short tons, Soviet Union
with 650,000 short tons, and Zambia with 596,000 short tons.
When copper is being mined, both Native copper and copper ore
are usually found. The highest grade of copper ore is pale silvery gray.
Miners used to be always in danger in copper mines. Today, we have reduced
a fair amount of these hazards. Miners wear hats made of iron or very hard
plastic. This is to protect them from falling rocks. Lamps are also attached to
these helmets in case some of the lighting in the mine goes out leaving a
miner stranded in the dark. One of the biggest problems with mining is that in
some places dangerous gas's may exist, like Carbon Monoxide. In...