The correct answer is $\boxed{\text{no article}}$.

Copper is a very useful metal. It is used in a wide variety of applications, including electrical wiring, plumbing, and construction. It is also a popular choice for jewelry and other decorative items.

The reason why copper does not need an article is because it is a non-count noun. Non-count nouns refer to things that cannot be counted individually, such as water, sand, or air. In these cases, we do not use articles.

For example, we would not say "I drank a water" or "I saw a sand." Instead, we would say "I drank water" and "I saw sand."

The same rule applies to copper. We would not say "I used a copper" or "I saw a copper." Instead, we would say "I used copper" and "I saw copper."

I hope this explanation is helpful!