Definition of 'optimum'. Word Frequency. optimum (ÉptÉªmÉm ) or optimal. adjective. The optimum or optimal level or state of something is the best level or state that it could achieve. [formal] Aim to do some physical activity three times a week for optimum health. ...regions in which optimal conditions for farming can be created.
Quick Answer. Pennies produced by the U.S. Mint since 1982 are an alloy of 2.5 percent copper and 97.5 percent zinc. The penny weighs 2.5 grams, so each penny contains 0.0625 grams of copper.
Metal is largest component of this cost: the penny has been composed of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper since 1982, and because the price of those metals fluctuates, so too does the cost of producing pennies. In 2005, the cost to the United States Mint to produce a penny was 0.97Â¢, which was just a smidge under a cent. In 2006, that year's pennies each cost about 1.23Â¢ to manufacture. Rises in metal prices, particularly of zinc, pushed the per-unit cost up to 1.7Â¢ in 2007. By 2012, production costs had risen to 2.41Â¢ per penny.