The Composition of US Coins

Thanks, Compound Interest.

And thanks, ACS for working with Andy Brunning (of the aforementioned Compound Interest) to produce this great, visual guide to the metals in US coinage.

That non-pure copper penny can make for some great lab experiments.

Then again, so can the pure copper.

Aluminum - the material that changed the world

Trigger warning - the narrator here has an Irish accent (I think) which could lead some folks to being distracted because it's that cool.

Oh, and they misspell and mispronounce the element being discussed.

Of course, the aluminum being discussed is a stunning material, lightweight, self-protective, and - if heat treated correctly (as described at 1:40) incredibly strong.

Then, at 2:30 or so, the video gets into age hardening of aluminum, and the video becomes way better.

We get images of FCC at 3:00...slip planes at 3:25...alloys at 3:45 (with great imaging of the atoms)...

This is an outstanding video here.

Thanks to Debbie (and her Philly campers) for sending this my way.