Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Undergraduate General Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: anita.sweetser on February 06, 2005, 07:01:49 PM
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??? Does any one know what the chemical compositon of a new penny is? And how it differs from an older one besides the copper.
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I don't know what you mean by besides the copper?
Around 1982, the US government found that copper was too expensive for a penny. They went coating zinc with copper. Just give the edge of a penny a scrap with a file and you will see the zinc on the inside.
By the way, this wasn't the first time the penny changed - WWII the copper was removed for a time because of the war effort.
savoy out