Final answer:
A post-1982 penny is made of zinc with a thin copper coating. There are approximately 2.4375 grams of zinc in a post-1982 penny.
Step-by-step explanation:
A post-1982 penny is made of zinc, with a thin copper coating. Prior to 1982, pennies were made almost entirely of copper. The mass of a single penny is 2.5 grams. To find out how many grams of zinc are in a post-1982 penny, we need to determine the percentage of zinc in the penny. Zinc makes up 97.5% of the penny's mass, while the remaining 2.5% is copper.
To calculate the mass of zinc in a post-1982 penny, we can multiply the total mass of the penny (2.5 grams) by the percentage of zinc (97.5%):
Mass of zinc = 2.5 grams × 97.5% = 2.4375 grams
Therefore, there are approximately 2.4375 grams of zinc in a post-1982 penny.