Copper (II) sulfate (CuSO4) is the most common coppersalt, made by the action of sulfuric acid on the base copper oxide. Copper (II) sulfate may appear as a pale green or gray-white powder.
Copper (II) sulfate is a desiccant. As such, it most commonly occurs as the blue hydratemineralchalcanthite, CuSO4 · 5H2O, which dehydrates at 110°C. It decomposes at 600°C forming CuO and Cu2O.
It can be used to plate metals with copper, as a fungicide or herbicide, or as a chemical test for water (the anhydrous form will absorb water, turning blue).
The archaic name for Copper (II) sulfate was Cupric sulfate. Some common names are: Blue Stone and Blue Vitriol.
Copper was associated with the goddess Aphrodite/Venus in mythology and alchemy, owing to its lustrous beauty, its ancient use in producing mirrors, and its association with Cyprus, which was sacred to the goddess.
Copper is found in a variety of enzymes, including the copper centers of cytochrome c oxidase, the Cu-Zn containing enzyme superoxide dismutase, and is the central metal in the oxygen carrying pigment hemocyanin.
Copper doorknobs are used by hospitals to reduce the transfer of disease, and Legionnaire's Disease is supressed by copper tubing in air-conditioning systems.
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