Why is the Statue of Liberty Green?

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Reactions is all about the chemistry that happens in copper this week. The Statue of Liberty and her green color is filled with science. Did you know she wasn't always green? When France gifted Lady Liberty to the U.S., she was a 305-foot statue with reddish-brown copper skin. Her color change is thanks to about 30 years’ worth of chemistry in the air of New York City harbor. Get an education on the chemistry of how this monumental statue transitioned from penny red to chocolate brown to glorious liberty green in this Reactions video.

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Battle Hymn of the Republic
Washington Post March - Catherine Gagnon
LA Funk
Sam Leopard - The Gold Medley

Producer:
Elaine Seward

Writer:
Sam Lemonick

Executive Producer:
Adam Dylewski

Scientific consultants:
Terri L. Woods, Ph.D.
Darcy Gentleman, Ph.D.
Kyle Nackers

Sources:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/09/19/the-statue-of-libertys-beguiling-green
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010938X87900539
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010938X87900473
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010938X87900540
http://www.wskc.org/documents/281621/282063/ENGAGE_E3S_Chemistry_Statue+of+Liberty.pdf/e4f24c7e-3666-425e-9c41-7dbdd0065eb4
https://www.copper.org/applications/architecture/arch_dhb/technical-discussion/fundamentals/arch_considerations.html#weathering_chart
https://www.finishing.com/261/74.shtml (just look at the sweet note after this post)

expert-cited article from ACS’s own ES&T
Livingston, R.A. Influence of the environment on the patina of the Statue of Liberty. Environ. Sci. Technol.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es00020a006
Zoltai, T. and Stout, J.H. Mineralogy: Concepts and Principles. 1984. Burgess (Minneapolis).

Ever wonder why dogs sniff each others' butts? Or how Adderall works? Or whether it's OK to pee in the pool? We've got you covered: Reactions a web series about the chemistry that surrounds you every day.

Reactions is produced by the American Chemical Society.

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S04E30 - Dragon's Blood Could Save Your Life