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Understanding the element
Copper (Cu) is chemical element 29. It belongs to the transition metals, and its reference state at room temperature is a solid. Those basic facts are a useful starting point for its chemistry and applications.
Where do we encounter it?
In practice, it turns up most often in electrical wiring, plumbing and electronics.
electrical wiringplumbingelectronics
Standard atomic weight63.546(3)
What its position in the table tells us
Copper sits in period 4, group 11 and the D block. That location is useful because neighbouring elements often share trends in valence electrons, oxidation states and bonding behaviour.
Worth remembering
Copper has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses
Copper has a characteristic place in the periodic table that helps explain both its chemistry and its practical uses