ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Cupronickel

Cupronickel is like a special kind of coin metal. Just like how we have pennies made of copper, dimes made of silver, and quarters made of a mix, cupronickel is a mix of copper and nickel.

But why do we use cupronickel? Well, it’s really good at not rusting, which is when metal gets brown and yucky over time. We don’t want our coins to rust because then they wouldn’t look as shiny and pretty! Cupronickel is also good at being strong so it won’t bend or break easily.

Now, if you’re wondering what the ratio of copper to nickel is, it’s usually around 75% copper and 25% nickel. That’s a lot of copper! But don’t worry – the nickel helps make the cupronickel even stronger, like how your dad sometimes helps you do something that’s too hard to do alone.

And that’s basically it – cupronickel is just a type of metal that we use to make coins because it’s good at not rusting and being strong.
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