Asked by big gieger
how hard is copper
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GPT-5 mini
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Copper is relatively soft compared with most steels. Key points:
- Mohs hardness: about 2.5–3 (can be scratched by a steel knife).
- Instrumented hardness (varies with temper): annealed pure copper ≈ 40–60 HV (Vickers) or roughly 35–60 HB (Brinell). Cold‑worked copper can be substantially harder (HV and HB can rise by a factor of 2–3).
- Rockwell-type values likewise vary with temper; pure annealed copper sits low on HRB, whereas alloys and work‑hardened stock are much higher.
Important: hardness depends strongly on composition and heat treatment. Alloys like brass and bronze are noticeably harder than pure copper; special alloys (e.g., beryllium copper) can be hardened to very high values.
If you tell me the form (annealed sheet, cold‑rolled rod, a specific alloy), I can give more precise hardness numbers or compare it to other metals for your application.
- Mohs hardness: about 2.5–3 (can be scratched by a steel knife).
- Instrumented hardness (varies with temper): annealed pure copper ≈ 40–60 HV (Vickers) or roughly 35–60 HB (Brinell). Cold‑worked copper can be substantially harder (HV and HB can rise by a factor of 2–3).
- Rockwell-type values likewise vary with temper; pure annealed copper sits low on HRB, whereas alloys and work‑hardened stock are much higher.
Important: hardness depends strongly on composition and heat treatment. Alloys like brass and bronze are noticeably harder than pure copper; special alloys (e.g., beryllium copper) can be hardened to very high values.
If you tell me the form (annealed sheet, cold‑rolled rod, a specific alloy), I can give more precise hardness numbers or compare it to other metals for your application.
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