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Asked by: Rona Felicite
events and attractions historic site and landmark toursWhy is the Statue of Liberty made of copper and not Zinc?
Based on your results, why do you suppose the Statue of Liberty was made from copper instead of magnesium or Zinc? a. Therefore, since magnesium and zinc are higher on the activity series than other elements, they would not have been involved in a chemical reaction as easily (not many elements can replace them).
Similarly, why was the Statue of Liberty made of copper?
Despite how thin it is, the copper is strong. The amount of copper in the Statue of Liberty could make 30 million pennies! Although some people were worried that the changing color of the statue meant it was decaying, the patina actually protects the copper underneath from further corrosion.
Also asked, why is the Statue of Liberty made of copper and not silver?
The Statue of Liberty's exterior is made of copper, and it turned that shade of green because of oxidation. Copper is a noble metal, which means that it does not react readily with other substances. At the Statue's unveiling, in 1886, it was brown, like a penny. By 1906, oxidation had covered it with a green patina.
Until at least the 1930s, the monument got an annual wash, but not a scrub—the green patina on the statue actually keeps the copper safe. One cleaning of the interior of the statue with bicarbonate of soda, performed in 1986, leaked through to the exterior and left streaks on the statue's left cheek and right arm.