Humans started using elemental copper about 6000 years ago and started using elemental tin about 3800 years ago. Using the heat of formation values for copper(II) oxide and tin (IV) oxide, explain why humans were able to use elemental copper before they w

The heat of formation value for copper(II) oxide is less than that of tin(IV) oxide. This means that less energy is required to form copper(II) oxide compared to tin(IV) oxide. Therefore, it was easier for early humans to extract and process elemental copper using the available technology at the time. It required less energy to convert copper into its oxide, enabling humans to produce tools and other useful items. In contrast, the high heat of formation value for tin(IV) oxide meant that it was more difficult for early humans to extract and process elemental tin using their limited technology, delaying their use of tin for a few thousand years.