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Brass paper clips that have a golden color have 33% zinc and 67% copper. Paper clips made of brass, that appear more red in color, have almost 90% copper and only 10% zinc. If the paper clips are the same size, which of the following will be different?

A. Height
B. Density
C. Magnetism
D. Thermal Conductivity

User IlBarra
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The different compositions of copper to zinc in paper clips of the same size will result in different densities. The copper-rich brass has a higher density than the zinc-rich brass due to the inherent properties of the metals involved.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which property will be different between brass paper clips with a golden color that are 33% zinc and 67% copper, and brass paper clips with a reddish color made of nearly 90% copper and only 10% zinc, assuming the paper clips are the same size. The property that will differ is B. Density. Density is defined as mass per unit volume, and since zinc and copper have different densities, the two sets of paper clips will have different overall densities. Copper has a density of approximately 8.96 g/cm³, while zinc has a density of about 7.14 g/cm³. The paper clips with more copper will have a higher density compared to those with a higher proportion of zinc. This is due to the fact that the density of a compound or alloy is the weighted average of the densities of its components based on their percentage compositions.

Magnetism is not typically a property that varies significantly between different compositions of brass, as neither copper nor zinc is magnetic. Height would not change assuming the same size, and thermal conductivity may vary but is not the property in question here based on the provided choices. Hence, the correct answer is that the density of the paper clips would be different due to their different compositions of copper and zinc.

User Pezhvak
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