1. Decrease in intensity of a signal, beam, or wave as a result of absorption of energy and of scattering out of the path of a detector, but not including the reduction due to geometric spreading, i.e., the inverse square of distance effect.
For the purists, there are about 145 copper cents / pennies in a pound. On the other hand, post 1982 zinc cents which have a copper plating over a much softer, much lighter zinc planchet. So there are about 180 zinc cents / pennies per pound. Those numbers of pennies per pound are of course for new, uncirculated, zinc or copper cents. When minted, new copper cents weigh about 3.11 grams each and new zinc cents about 2.5 grams each and that is our basis for the number of pennies in a pound. However, once they are put in circulation, they start to ware thinner and thinner.
Quick Answer. United States pennies minted after 1982 weigh 2.5 grams, or 0.088 ounces. These pennies are 2.5 percent copper and 97.5 percent zinc. Before 1982, pennies weighed 3.11 grams, or 0.110 ounces. They were 95 percent copper and 5 percent zinc, which is a form of bronze. Continue Reading.