Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

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Penny Experiment: Possible to deform a penny?

Is there any possible way to bend or disform a piece of copper, or a penny? And from a previous reply about pennies: will whiskey, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, lemon juice, vegetable oil, and shampoo make copper or pennies rust faster or corrode faster? And are they the only substances that will do so?

I await your answer. And I hope that I wasn't pestering you at all.

Sincerely,

Sandy C [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]
- Wtloo, Ontario, Canada
2002

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2002

Hi, Sandy. You are not pestering, but there is a problem: you are expected to seriously commit your mind to your homework :-) Don't you think that if you put your mind to it, like you are supposed to, your first question would seem a bit silly? You are wondering if there is any way in the world to "bend or disform a piece of copper, or a penny"? When you go to an arcade, a machine asks you to put a penny in and watch it be bent and disformed into a commemorative design. Did you seriously wonder whether hammers, drills, files, sandpaper, blowtorches, and jackhammers would just bounce helplessly off of a penny without bending or disforming it?  :-)

Please put pennies in little cups of whiskey (with your parents' permission), rubbing alcohol, vinegar [in bulk on eBay or Amazon], lemon juice, vegetable oil, and shampoo for a week and see what happens. While you're at it, put some in water, coke, and ketchup to see if any other substances will make pennies corrode faster. Good luck!

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey