Copper vs. Iron — What's the Difference?

Copper is a reddish-brown metallic element.

Iron is a strong and durable metal.

It's known for excellent electrical conductivity.

Known for its magnetic properties.

Copper is malleable and ductile.

Iron is essential for producing hemoglobin.

Copper is utilized in various alloys.

Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from Latin: ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table.

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.

Symbol Fe A silvery-white, lustrous, malleable, ductile, magnetic or magnetizable, metallic element occurring abundantly in combined forms, notably in hematite, limonite, magnetite, and taconite, and used alloyed in a wide range of important structural materials. Atomic number 26; atomic weight 55.845; melting point 1,538°C; boiling point 2,861°C; specific gravity 7.874 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 6. See Periodic Table.

Symbol Cu A ductile, malleable, reddish-brown metallic element that is an excellent conductor of heat and electricity and is widely used for electrical wiring, water piping, and corrosion-resistant parts, either pure or in alloys such as brass and bronze. Atomic number 29; atomic weight 63.546; melting point 1,085°C; boiling point 2,562°C; specific gravity 8.96; valence 1, 2. See Periodic Table.

An implement made of iron alloy or similar metal, especially a bar heated for use in branding, curling hair, or cauterizing.

A coin, usually of small denomination, made of copper or a copper alloy.

Great hardness or strength; firmness

Chiefly British A large cooking pot made of copper or often of iron.

(Sports) Any of a series of golf clubs having a bladelike metal head and numbered from one to nine in order of increasing loft.

Any of various small butterflies of the subfamily Lycaeninae, having predominantly copper-colored wings.

A metal appliance with a handle and a weighted flat bottom, used when heated to press wrinkles from fabric.

A reddish brown.

A harpoon.

A police officer.

Irons Fetters; shackles.

To coat or finish with a layer of copper.

A tonic, pill, or other medication containing iron and taken as a dietary supplement.

(Slang) To bet against, as in faro.

Made of or containing iron

(uncountable) A reddish-brown, malleable, ductile metallic element with high electrical and thermal conductivity, symbol Cu, and atomic number 29.

Strong, healthy, and capable of great endurance

The reddish-brown colour/color of copper.

Inflexible; unyielding

Any of various specialized items that are made of copper, where the use of copper is either traditional or vital to the function of the item.

Holding tightly; very firm

(countable) A copper coin, typically of a small denomination, such as a penny.

To press and smooth with a heated iron

A large pot, often used for heating water or washing clothes over a fire. In Australasia at least, it could also be a fixed installation made of copper, with a fire underneath and its own chimney. Generally made redundant by the advent of the washing machine.

To remove (creases) by pressing.

(entomology) Any of various lycaenid butterflies with copper-coloured upperwings, especially those of the genera Lycaena and Paralucia.

To put into irons; fetter.

A police officer.

To fit or clad with iron.

Made of copper.

To iron clothes.

Having the reddish-brown colour/color of copper.

(uncountable) A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.

To sheathe or coat with copper.

A metallic chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.

A common metal of a reddish color, both ductile and malleable, and very tenacious. It is one of the best conductors of heat and electricity. Symbol Cu. Atomic weight 63.3. It is one of the most useful metals in itself, and also in its alloys, brass and bronze.

Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.

A coin made of copper; a penny, cent, or other minor coin of copper.

(countable) A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.

A vessel, especially a large boiler, made of copper.

(usually plural, irons) shackles.

The boilers in the galley for cooking; as, a ship's coppers.

(slang) A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.

To cover or coat with copper; to sheathe with sheets of copper; as, to copper a ship.

(uncountable) A dark shade of the color silver.

A ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor

A male homosexual.

A copper penny

(golf) A golf club used for middle-distance shots.

Uncomplimentary terms for a policeman

Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.

A reddish brown the color of polished copper

(weightlifting) Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.

Any of various small butterflies of the family Lycaenidae having copper colored wings

A meteorite consisting primarily of metallic iron (mixed with a small amount of nickel), as opposed to one composed mainly of stony material.

Coat with a layer of copper

A safety curtain in a theatre.

An essential trace dietary mineral for humans.

Dumb bombs, those without guidance systems.

(not comparable) Made of the metal iron.

(figuratively) Strong as of will, inflexible.

(transitive) To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.

To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.

(transitive) To furnish or arm with iron.

The most common and most useful metallic element, being of almost universal occurrence, usually in the form of an oxide (as hematite, magnetite, etc.), or a hydrous oxide (as limonite, turgite, etc.). It is reduced on an enormous scale in three principal forms; viz., cast iron, steel, and wrought iron. Iron usually appears dark brown, from oxidation or impurity, but when pure, or on a fresh surface, is a gray or white metal. It is easily oxidized (rusted) by moisture, and is attacked by many corrosive agents. Symbol Fe (Latin Ferrum). Atomic number 26, atomic weight 55.847. Specific gravity, pure iron, 7.86; cast iron, 7.1. In magnetic properties, it is superior to all other substances.

An instrument or utensil made of iron; - chiefly in composition; as, a flatiron, a smoothing iron, etc.

Fetters; chains; handcuffs; manacles.

Strength; power; firmness; inflexibility; as, to rule with a rod of iron.

An iron-headed club with a deep face, chiefly used in making approaches, lifting a ball over hazards, etc.

Of, or made of iron; consisting of iron; as, an iron bar, dust.

Resembling iron in color; as, iron blackness.

Like iron in hardness, strength, impenetrability, power of endurance, insensibility, etc.;

Rude; hard; harsh; severe.

Firm; robust; enduring; as, an iron constitution.

Inflexible; unrelenting; as, an iron will.

Not to be broken; holding or binding fast; tenacious.

To smooth with an instrument of iron; especially, to smooth, as cloth, with a heated flatiron; - sometimes used with out.

To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.

To furnish or arm with iron; as, to iron a wagon.

A heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

A golf club that has a relatively narrow metal head

Metal shackles; for hands or legs

Implement used to brand live stock

Home appliance consisting of a flat metal base that is heated and used to smooth cloth

Press and smooth with a heated iron;

Extremely robust;

Often alloyed to produce steel.

Iron has a silvery appearance, prone to rust.

Iron is crucial for oxygen transport in blood.

Predominantly in electrical and electronics industries.

Due to its excellent electrical conductivity.

Copper is reddish-brown.

Yes, Iron is a primary component in steel production.

Yes, the Copper Age reflects its historical utilization.

Yes, Iron is magnetic.

Yes, Copper is alloyed to form metals like Bronze.

Copper prices often correlate with economic health.

A historical period marked by predominant use of Iron.

Copper’s conductive properties make it crucial in electronic components.

Yes, Iron can oxidize and rust.

Yes, Copper is a vital dietary trace mineral.

Its strength and durability make it suitable for construction.

Yes, Iron is found in hemoglobin in red blood cells.