| Author |
 Replies: 12 / Views: 1,805 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
Does any one know if plating a penny with zinc would change the weight and if so about how much approximately?
*** Moved by Staff to a more appropriate forum. ***
|
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
5239 Posts |
It would have to increase the weight since zinc is being added on top of it. It would only taken a very thin layer to change the colour, which would not likely register on a scale with a sensitivity less than 1/100 gram.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
playing a penny Question? Did you mean Plating? If so, to vague a question. This would depend on how much plating is done. |
|
Pillar of the Community
 United States
900 Posts |
Thanks oriole! Just carl Sorry , yes plating . The question was about how in school science experiments they will put pennies in a zinc solution and plate them and then you can heat them and the zinc plating and copper will mix and turn into brass . I was just wondering about the weight difference .
|
|
Rest in Peace
10197 Posts |
Potbelly, think you just answered my yellow/gold colored 1980 Lincoln! If I had a scale....?  |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
3463 Posts |
Quote:
Potbelly, think you just answered my yellow/gold colored 1980 Lincoln! If I had a scale....? Some cents do get a Brass plating instead of Copper. This can happen when Zinc planchets get left behind in the plating tank, then dissolved to mix with the Copper, creating Brass, which plates the next batch of planchets. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
There will be an increase in weight, the amount being dependent on the thickness of the plating. The copper plating on the cent is about .0002 of an inch thick and weighs about .05 grams. If you were to put an equal thickness of zinc on the coin it would increase the weight by about .04 grams.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
Thank so for the replies that answered a question on a few of my finds .
|
|
Rest in Peace
United States
1943 Posts |
Conder, where do you get the info about the plating thickness and weight of the copper plating? This is great information.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
The mint has released the information about the thickness of the plating in the past. The weight of the plating is a calculated value based on the stated overall composition of the coin being 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. Most of the copper in in the plating with a very small amount being alloyed in with the zinc (It helps the plating adhere better). It works out to give you a weight of the plating of right about .05 grams.
It can also be calculated from calculating the dimensions of a cylinder diameter of a cent and the SG of the cent. Determine the volume and then subtract the volume of a cylinder .0004 inches less in diameter and .0004 inches less in height. The difference is the volume of the plating and it's weight can be calculated from the SG of copper.
You come up with a rounded figure of .05 grams.
Edited by Conder101
03/08/2017 2:13 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
Great explanation conder101 ! I take it you enjoy math . I have one that is a slight amount underweight it weighs about 2.47 I know that's not much but it must have been around 2.42 g before the experiment .
Edited by Potbellypub
03/08/2017 10:58 pm
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
I do, for some reason I find numbers somewhat magical. I never managed to get beyond first year calculus though.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
900 Posts |
I have a brother a brother in law and a girlfriend that are the same all love math I am in the construction trade so I use a lot of basic math and basic algebra but I am more of a spacail and mechanical guy. I never took even algebra because I didn't figure I would ever need it and then had to crash learn it when I worked in the optical business for twenty plus years .
|
| |
Replies: 12 / Views: 1,805 |
|
Posted 03/04/2017 6:02 pm
