But talk with an orthopedist and you're likely to hear that all that does is turn the braceleted wrist dark grayish black. Copper cookware has its own share of long standing legends and some of them have a degree of truth to them. Some are simply too lazy to give it the proper care. Some couldn't imagine making a sauce without it, or beating egg whites in anything other than an unlined copper bowl. Separating fact from fiction becomes challenging for the cook who isn't also a chemist .
Copper is strong but malleable and an outstanding conductor.
Its conductive qualities are linked to molecular structure, which in the case of copper, is quite loose. With 29 protons in each copper molecule's nucleus, it contains one free-floating electron which easily conducts heat and electricity through the metal. Copper electric wires work well for the same reason copper pans do. Copper is mined at great expense from deposits primarily found in South America. It comprises only .01 percent of the earth's crust by weight, and like all nonrenewable resources, its value increases continually.