Copper has recently become a popular element in many countries around the world. From London to China to here at home, copper is impacting so many people and changing the way people live by providing the vital gift of power. People are robbing homes and stealing copper from walls to make money due to the spike in copper prices. All this fuss from one element has raised many people's views on copper and its value for many has increased dramatically. Copper is becoming an item more likely to be stolen due to the increase in demand and price of copper. This item is used for construction to fuel use in decoration. According to the Reuters article on copper, December has been the most expensive month for copper to date and prices continue to rise every day. One of the major countries requiring this transition metal is indeed China, but the rest of the world is looking for the element right behind China, as copper is gaining ground in the higher power of money. To understand the reasons why copper has started to rise in price, one must first look at the overall composition of the element and how it is used. The key characteristic of copper is that its atomic number is twenty-nine, which means it has a total of twenty-nine protons. Its element symbol is also Cu. Copper has many uses in different fields of study and careers such as in heating, electricity, agriculture, coins, roofing and decoration. However, due to the increase in the price of copper, its use in exterior decoration has become less typical and it is used in smaller quantities when used in trim. Copper is mainly used outdoors, in pipes and cables due to its characteristics. Copper has the characteristics of most transition metals, i.e. that cop... middle of the paper... as opposed to the fact that copper may be priced higher and almost impossible to recover and use due to the increase in copper in recent years. From decoration to laboratory experiments to home wiring to provide energy, copper is now playing a role in the lives of several thousand people due to its many uses.Works CitedCitation Page• About. "Electrical Conductivity in Metals". About.com Metals. About.com, 2013. Web. December 12, 2013.• "Conductors and Insulators." Conductors and Insulators. Georiga State University, 2005. Web. 11 December 2013.• Daltorio, Tony. "Investing in Copper: Why Prices Will Rise in 2013 - Money Morning." Money Morning Only news you can profit from. Money Mprning, March 4, 2013. Web. December 12, 2013.• GSU. "Ohm's Law." Ohm's law. Geogira State University, 2005. Web. 12 December 2013.• UNCP. "Copper." Copper. UNCP, 2013. Web. 12 December. 2013.