Copper, like most metals, oxidizes in the presence of air. Iron is a common example when it rusts.
The oxides of copper further react with water, carbon dioxide, and other gasses floating around to create the signature green color also known as a patina. The green is due to how those compounds interact with the light. Color is basically what doesn’t get absorbed and is instead bounced back to your eyes. If you think about the molecules like a coffee filter, they hold back all the colors (coffee grounds) that don’t make the greenish color (coffee).
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