From: NFetter <NFetter@aol.com>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 1998 20:11:38 EDT
To: pinhole@exploratorium.edu
Subject: Re: pennies
Hi Coral,
Actually, pre-1982 pennies are not pure copper. They contain about 5% by mass
of zinc and so are really a brass alloy. The amount of zinc changed over the
years, but there has always been some there. If you Pinholers are interested,
I can give you a reference to an article in J. Chem. Ed. on the metalurgy of
pennies.
Neil Fetter