Bronze vs. Iron: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Published on November 18, 2023
Bronze is an alloy primarily of copper and tin. Iron is a pure metallic element, strong but prone to rust.
Key Differences
Bronze is a metal alloy that primarily combines copper with tin, giving it a distinct yellowish-brown hue. On the other hand, Iron is a pure metallic element, characterized by its silver-gray appearance and magnetic properties.
While both Bronze and Iron have been utilized since ancient times, Bronze was used earlier, marking the Bronze Age. Iron came to prominence later, ushering in the Iron Age, which saw the replacement of bronze tools and weapons with those made of iron due to its superior strength.
One notable difference between Bronze and Iron is their resistance to corrosion. Bronze is more resistant to corrosion, especially seawater corrosion, making it favorable for marine applications. In contrast, Iron, unless alloyed to form steel or treated, can rust when exposed to moisture and air.
In terms of applications, Bronze is often used in the making of coins, bells, sculptures, and musical instruments due to its unique sound quality. Iron, being more abundant and stronger, finds its use in construction, machinery, and various tools.
Summarizing, while Bronze is an alloy known for its durability and corrosion resistance, Iron is a pure element recognized for its strength but with a vulnerability to rust.
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Comparison Chart
Composition
Alloy (mainly copper and tin).
Pure metallic element.
Historical Age
Bronze Age.
Iron Age.
Resistance to Corrosion
More resistant, especially to seawater.
Prone to rust when exposed to moisture and air
Common Applications
Coins, bells, sculptures, musical instruments.
Construction, machinery, tools.
Color
Yellowish-brown.
Silver-gray.
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Bronze and Iron Definitions
Bronze
A yellowish-brown alloy of copper with up to one-third tin.
The ancient statue was made of Bronze.
Iron
A strong, hard magnetic silvery-gray metal.
The bridge was constructed with Iron beams.
Bronze
An alloy recognized for its resistance to corrosion, especially from seawater.
Ship fittings are often made from Bronze.
Iron
A metal prone to oxidation, forming rust.
The gate had not been painted and showed signs of Iron rust.
Bronze
A metallic blend primarily composed of copper and tin.
The artist preferred Bronze for his sculptures.
Iron
A metal known for its wide range of applications, from tools to machinery.
The blacksmith forged the horseshoes from Iron.
Bronze
A metal used historically for tools before the advent of iron.
Ancient civilizations used Bronze weapons in warfare.
Iron
Symbol Fe A silvery-white, lustrous, malleable, ductile, magnetic or magnetizable, metallic element occurring abundantly in combined forms, notably in hematite, limonite, magnetite, and taconite, and used alloyed in a wide range of important structural materials. Atomic number 26; atomic weight 55.845; melting point 1,538°C; boiling point 2,861°C; specific gravity 7.874 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 6. See Periodic Table.
Bronze
Any of various alloys of copper and tin in various proportions, sometimes with traces of other metals.
Iron
An implement made of iron alloy or similar metal, especially a bar heated for use in branding, curling hair, or cauterizing.
Bronze
Any of various alloys of copper, with or without tin, and antimony, phosphorus, or other components.
Iron
Great hardness or strength; firmness
A will of iron.
Bronze
A work of art made of one of these alloys.
Iron
(Sports) Any of a series of golf clubs having a bladelike metal head and numbered from one to nine in order of increasing loft.
Bronze
A medal made of bronze awarded to one placing third in a competition, as in the Olympics.
Iron
A metal appliance with a handle and a weighted flat bottom, used when heated to press wrinkles from fabric.
Bronze
A moderate yellowish to olive brown.
Iron
A harpoon.
Bronze
A pigment of this color.
Iron
Irons Fetters; shackles.
Bronze
Made of or consisting of bronze.
Iron
A tonic, pill, or other medication containing iron and taken as a dietary supplement.
Bronze
Of a moderate yellowish to olive brown.
Iron
Made of or containing iron
Iron bars.
An iron alloy.
Bronze
To give the color or appearance of bronze to.
Iron
Strong, healthy, and capable of great endurance
An iron constitution.
Bronze
To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by exposure to the sun; tan.
Iron
Inflexible; unyielding
Iron resolve.
Bronze
To make (a person or a person's skin) darker by the application of bronzer.
Iron
Holding tightly; very firm
Has an iron grip.
Bronze
To become bronze in color, especially by exposure to the sun or the application of bronzer
"He wondered what she thought of all these white bodies bronzing in the heat" (Robert Ferrigno).
Iron
To press and smooth with a heated iron
Iron clothes.
Bronze
(uncountable) A naturally occurring or man-made alloy of copper, usually in combination with tin, but also with one or more other metals.
Iron
To remove (creases) by pressing.
Bronze
A reddish-brown colour, the colour of bronze.
Iron
To put into irons; fetter.
Bronze
(countable) A work of art made of bronze, especially a sculpture.
Iron
To fit or clad with iron.
Bronze
A bronze medal.
She wanted to win the tournament, but had to settle for the bronze after being beaten in the semi-finals.
Iron
To iron clothes.
Bronze
Boldness; impudence.
Iron
(uncountable) A common, inexpensive metal, silvery grey when untarnished, that rusts, is attracted by magnets, and is used in making steel.
Bronze
Made of bronze metal.
Iron
A metallic chemical element having atomic number 26 and symbol Fe.
Bronze
Having a reddish-brown colour.
Iron
Any material, not a steel, predominantly made of elemental iron.
Wrought iron, ductile iron, cast iron, pig iron, gray iron
Bronze
(of the skin) Tanned; darkened as a result of exposure to the sun.
Iron
(countable) A tool or appliance made of metal, which is heated and then used to transfer heat to something else; most often a thick piece of metal fitted with a handle and having a flat, roughly triangular bottom, which is heated and used to press wrinkles from clothing, and now usually containing an electrical heating apparatus.
Bronze
(transitive) To plate with bronze.
My mother bronzed my first pair of baby shoes.
Iron
(usually plural, irons) shackles.
Bronze
(transitive) To color bronze; (of the sun) to tan.
Iron
(slang) A firearm, either a long gun or a handgun.
Bronze
To change to a bronze or tan colour due to exposure to the sun.
Iron
(uncountable) A dark shade of the color silver.
Bronze
(transitive) To make hard or unfeeling; to brazen.
Iron
A male homosexual.
Bronze
An alloy of copper and tin, to which small proportions of other metals, especially zinc, are sometimes added. It is hard and sonorous, and is used for statues, bells, cannon, etc., the proportions of the ingredients being varied to suit the particular purposes. The varieties containing the higher proportions of tin are brittle, as in bell metal and speculum metal.
Iron
(golf) A golf club used for middle-distance shots.
Bronze
A statue, bust, etc., cast in bronze.
A print, a bronze, a flower, a root.
Iron
Used as a symbol of great strength or toughness, or to signify a very strong or tough material.
A will of iron
He appeared easygoing, but inside he was pure iron.
Bronze
A yellowish or reddish brown, the color of bronze; also, a pigment or powder for imitating bronze.
Iron
(weightlifting) Weight used as resistance for the purpose of strength training.
He lifts iron on the weekends.
Bronze
Boldness; impudence; "brass."
Imbrowned with native bronze, lo! Henley stands.
Iron
A meteorite consisting primarily of metallic iron (mixed with a small amount of nickel), as opposed to one composed mainly of stony material.
Irons and stony irons can be much larger than stony meteorites and are much more visually striking, but make up only a few percent of all meteorites.
Bronze
To give an appearance of bronze to, by a coating of bronze powder, or by other means; to make of the color of bronze; as, to bronze plaster casts; to bronze coins or medals.
The tall bronzed black-eyed stranger.
Iron
A safety curtain in a theatre.
Bronze
To make hard or unfeeling; to brazen.
The lawer who bronzes his bosom instead of his forehead.
Iron
Dumb bombs, those without guidance systems.
Bronze
An alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tin
Iron
(not comparable) Made of the metal iron.
Bronze
A sculpture made of bronze
Iron
(figuratively) Strong as of will, inflexible.
She had an iron will.
He held on with an iron grip.
An iron constitution
Iron men
Bronze
Give the color and appearance of bronze to something;
Bronze baby shoes
Iron
(transitive) To pass an iron over (clothing or some other item made of cloth) in order to remove creases.
Bronze
Get a tan, from wind or sun
Iron
To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
Bronze
Of the color of bronze
Iron
(transitive) To furnish or arm with iron.
To iron a wagon
Bronze
Made from or consisting of bronze
Iron
The most common and most useful metallic element, being of almost universal occurrence, usually in the form of an oxide (as hematite, magnetite, etc.), or a hydrous oxide (as limonite, turgite, etc.). It is reduced on an enormous scale in three principal forms; viz., cast iron, steel, and wrought iron. Iron usually appears dark brown, from oxidation or impurity, but when pure, or on a fresh surface, is a gray or white metal. It is easily oxidized (rusted) by moisture, and is attacked by many corrosive agents. Symbol Fe (Latin Ferrum). Atomic number 26, atomic weight 55.847. Specific gravity, pure iron, 7.86; cast iron, 7.1. In magnetic properties, it is superior to all other substances.
Bronze
A metal known for its durability and distinct hue.
The medal awarded was of Bronze.
Iron
An instrument or utensil made of iron; - chiefly in composition; as, a flatiron, a smoothing iron, etc.
My young soldier, put up your iron.
Iron
Fetters; chains; handcuffs; manacles.
Four of the sufferers were left to rot in irons.
Iron
Strength; power; firmness; inflexibility; as, to rule with a rod of iron.
Iron
An iron-headed club with a deep face, chiefly used in making approaches, lifting a ball over hazards, etc.
Iron
Of, or made of iron; consisting of iron; as, an iron bar, dust.
Iron
Resembling iron in color; as, iron blackness.
Iron
Like iron in hardness, strength, impenetrability, power of endurance, insensibility, etc.;
Iron
Rude; hard; harsh; severe.
Iron years of wars and dangers.
Jove crushed the nations with an iron rod.
Iron
Firm; robust; enduring; as, an iron constitution.
Iron
Inflexible; unrelenting; as, an iron will.
Iron
Not to be broken; holding or binding fast; tenacious.
Iron
To smooth with an instrument of iron; especially, to smooth, as cloth, with a heated flatiron; - sometimes used with out.
Iron
To shackle with irons; to fetter or handcuff.
Iron
To furnish or arm with iron; as, to iron a wagon.
Iron
A heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
Iron
A golf club that has a relatively narrow metal head
Iron
Metal shackles; for hands or legs
Iron
Implement used to brand live stock
Iron
Home appliance consisting of a flat metal base that is heated and used to smooth cloth
Iron
Press and smooth with a heated iron;
Press your shirts
Iron
Extremely robust;
An iron constitution
Iron
A metallic element symbolized as Fe on the periodic table.
Spinach is a good source of dietary Iron.
Iron
An element essential for the formation of hemoglobin in the blood.
An Iron deficiency can lead to anemia.
FAQs
What primarily composes Bronze?
Bronze is primarily composed of copper and tin.
When was Bronze mainly used in history?
Bronze was predominantly used during the Bronze Age.
Can Iron rust?
Yes, Iron can rust when exposed to moisture and air.
Is Bronze a pure metal?
No, Bronze is an alloy, primarily of copper and tin.
What is the color difference between Bronze and Iron?
Bronze has a yellowish-brown hue, while Iron is silver-gray.
Is Iron magnetic?
Yes, Iron is a magnetic metal.
Is Iron more abundant than Bronze?
Yes, Iron is more abundant in the Earth's crust than the components of Bronze.
Why is Bronze resistant to seawater corrosion?
The tin content in Bronze improves its resistance to seawater corrosion.
How can Iron be protected from rusting?
Iron can be coated or alloyed with other metals to prevent rust.
Which is stronger, Bronze or Iron?
Iron is generally stronger than Bronze.
Why did civilizations transition from Bronze to Iron tools?
Iron tools were stronger and more abundant than Bronze ones.
What are common uses for Bronze?
Common uses include sculptures, coins, and musical instruments.
Does Bronze tarnish?
Over time, Bronze can develop a greenish patina due to oxidation.
Are Bronze and Iron used in modern construction?
While Iron (often as steel) is extensively used in construction, Bronze is less common, primarily in decorative elements.
Is Iron essential for the human body?
Yes, Iron is vital for blood formation and oxygen transport.
Which is heavier, Bronze or Iron?
Iron is denser and generally heavier than Bronze.
Can Bronze be magnetized?
No, Bronze is not magnetic.
Why is Iron's symbol "Fe" on the periodic table?
"Fe" is derived from the Latin word "ferrum," meaning Iron.
Which has a longer history, Bronze or Iron?
Bronze was used before Iron, marking the Bronze Age.
Are there different grades of Iron?
Yes, Iron can be found in various grades and forms, including cast iron and wrought iron.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
