How Can You Tell if Something is Bronze?

if there are two other people ahead of you it's bronze

Bronze is a substance you'll probably just need to learn by seeing a lot of it. Both Bronze and Brass look coppery when new.

Bronze forms a patina or corrosion "skin" as it ages. Most metal statues that have a dark blue-green or brownish patina are going to be bronze. Bronze is Copper and Tin, and rather hard and heavy.

Brass is corrosion-resistant, so if it shiny metallic yellow and isn't Gold, it is probably Brass. Brass is Copper and Zinc, rather hard but lighter than Bronze.

Bronze is more commonly used in statues and art objects. Before the discovery of Iron, ancient weapons and tools were made of Bronze (the Bronze age).

Brass is more commonly used for musical instruments like horns, machine parts, cookware, household items.

Bronze


Brass

But is there any simple test to tell them apart?

I googled it, and apparently the distinction between the two isn't really clearcut. It's not just brass is a copper-zinc alloy and bronze a copper-tin alloy. There are apparently more than two hundred different alloys that could be either one or the other, and some brass alloys are called bronze. So it seems like you're gonna have problems.

Here's one answer, which involves drilling a hole (number 8)http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060803230342AAEHfdg

Here's another from an industry representative
http://www.mail-archive.com/sslivesteam@colegroup.com/msg14389.html

Don't know why that first one didn't turn blue for a link. You may have to cut and paste it.

Unfortunately it looks like the answer to your question is no, it's not simple.

(a space was needed between the closed parenthesis and the URL)

form the material into the shape of a monkey with large testicles

wait for a cold day, if the testicles fall off the material is brass

I was thinking witches titties.

If its old. Bronze has the most interesting range of patinas. New bronze can be any color from silver to gold.