How is copper used in a smartphone?

Answer 1

Copper is a metal with a high electrical conductivity, meaning electrons can travel through it easily. Other common metals used in electronics are aluminum, gold, zinc, tin, tungsten, and (in the past) lead. Each is used for different things. But of these metals, copper has the best conductivity.

On a circuit board, the wiring (known as traces) is most frequently copper. Copper is used because it is much cheaper than gold and solder (the metal you melt to attach electrical parts to the circuit board, often made from lead or zinc mixed with tin) will stick to it, unlike aluminum. Circuit boards are often green instead of copper-colored because they are covered with a 'solder mask'. This is a thin layer of a special plastic that prevents solder from sticking to places you don't want and causing shorts.

In a microchip, copper is commonly used for what is known as the 'global interconnects' because of its good conductivity. These are the wires that connect different sections of the chip together. The 'local interconnects', or the parts that hook individual transistors together, are aluminum and tungsten because copper can easily contaminate transistors, preventing them from working.

However, copper can corrode (it turns green) and when this happens, the corroded parts stops conducting. So when different electrical parts are being conducted, they are often "tinned" with another metal such as tin or gold (that's why the exposed metal on a circuit board often looks silver instead of copper). Copper is a metal and has orbiting electrons on its nucleus The more the orbiting electrons the better the conductivity. Silver is by far superior and also expensive. So a happy media had to be accepted for that fact. Copper is also malleable and fairly abundant LOOK AT YOUR Periodic Table THEN ANSWER PLEASE. Copper is not the best but is cheap and amenable drawbacks IT OXIDIZES easily that is why gold thorium are plated on its surface to eliminate the problem of oxidation. Aluminium IS NEVER USED A S A CONDUCTOR others metal do not adhere easily and it also oxidizes.

Answer 2

Copper elements often accent the circuit boards, acting as transistors. According to the Earthworks environmental advocacy organization, cell phones commonly contain substances including lead, Mercury, beryllium, arsenic, beryllium, brominated flame retardants, lead, nickel, palladium, silver, tantalum, cadmium and antimony. Though harmless during day-to-day use, some of these materials become toxic when incinerated.

Answer 3

Copper is a good conductor, malleable and cheap.