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Grams of copper in a penny

Hi, my name is Crystal and I am a freshman in college. I'm in a chemistry class and we just did an experiment dealing with the copper in pennies. We were asked to go online and find what others say the weight in grams of copper is in a penny. Thanks!

Crystal Hyams
student - Cullowhee, North Carolina
2004

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I'll take a guess at .09 grams. Things sure have changed since I was in college chemistry; polls like this sound more appropriate for psychology class than college chemistry. I hope things haven't changed so much that a student would publicly fib for all the world to see  🙂 

When you get a thousand responses and average them, what is your conclusion if you find the guesses were high or low by a factor of 100 to 1?

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
2003

Well, when I went to college, we did not have computers, so we had to do it the hard way. At the US Mint web site under specifications, it states that a new penny has 2.5% copper and the balance zinc. Now, you can weigh several pennies and find an average weight or you can plug in the correct words into google and find out how much a penny should weigh. Maybe.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2004

Sorry! Finishing.com is temporarily Read-Only.
Ted Mooney is retiring but I have several offers to take it over.
We're working hard to make sure we find it the best new home.

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