Question

Copper reacts with oxygen vigorously at room temperature.

• A. True
• B. False

Answer 1

The correct option is B False

• Copper does not react vigorously with Oxygen at room temperature.
• It reacts with Oxygen (O₂) at very high temperature of below 1370 K to give red colored Cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) which further reacts with Oxygen to form black colored Cupric oxide (CuO).
• $$\begin{gathered} 4\mathrm{Cu}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\stackrel{\mathrm{Below}1370\mathrm{K}}{\to }2{\mathrm{Cu}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{s}\right) \\ \left(\mathrm{Copper}\right)\left(\mathrm{Oxygen}\right)(\mathrm{Cuprous}\mathrm{oxide}) \end{gathered}$$
• $$\begin{gathered} 2{\mathrm{Cu}}_2\mathrm{O}\left(\mathrm{s}\right)+{\mathrm{O}}_2\left(\mathrm{g}\right)\stackrel{\mathrm{Above}1370\mathrm{K}}{\to }4\mathrm{CuO}\left(\mathrm{s}\right) \\ (\mathrm{Cuprous}\mathrm{oxide})\left(\mathrm{Oxygen}\right)(\mathrm{Cupric}\mathrm{oxide}) \end{gathered}$$

Therefore, the given statement is false.