The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Is a penny made from copper

Is a penny made from copper? we need to know because we have a science project about "can a penny or aluminium transfer electricity better?" if you know the answer, just post it. that would be awesome!
~mrs. kristie and ms. lauryn~

Kristie and Lauren
consumer etc. - Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
2007

Google the US mint for that answer. A new penny [1983 and after] is zinc with a very thin layer of copper. An old penny [1982 and before] is very close to pure copper, so if it is cleaned to brightness it will conduct as pure copper for your purpose. You can google the conductivity and get a real answer, but aluminum is about 3/4 of copper. It depends on the alloy of both for a precise answer.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2007

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You might want to compare some pre 1983 pennies with some post 1983 pennies. In 1983, the US Mint started making pennies out of zinc, and using a roughly 12 micron coating of copper on the zinc to retain the copper color we were all used to.

Lee Gearhart
metallurgist - E. Aurora, New York
2007

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2007

Kristie and Lauren,

Tell you what, come over here and do my job for me and I will do your homework for you. No, better still, why don't you do your own homework instead of trying the obvious shortcut of getting someone else to do it for you.

By the way if you do want to do my job while I get paid for it that would also be AWESOME.

Brian Terry
Aerospace - Yeovil, Somerset, UK

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Is the question "which is a better conductor, copper or aluminum"? Or "Which is a better conductor, a penny or aluminum"? If it's the latter what difference does it make what the penny is made of? If it's the former, go to the local hardware store and get some copper wire and some aluminum wire and run an experiment.

Sheldon Taylor
supply chain electronics
Wake Forest, North Carolina
2007