How Many Grams of Zinc are in a Post-1982 Penny?

Zinc Composition in Post-1982 Penny

If a single penny has a mass of 2.5g, how many grams of Zn are in a post-1982 penny.

The composition of a post-1982 penny is primarily zinc, with a thin copper coating. Prior to 1982, pennies were made mostly of copper. The mass of a single penny is 2.5 grams. To determine how many grams of zinc are in a post-1982 penny, we need to calculate 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 find 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.