Why Is Nickel Important? Key Facts Every Student Should Know
Have you ever imagined what is the basic component of the shiny monetary coins that you use to buy things that you want or need? These coins are made of various elements, one of which is nickel, primarily used to give them their characteristic shine. Nickel is one of the most abundant elements in the earth's crust. It has been used and employed for various purposes in various industries since it was found and extracted.
In this article, we will learn more about nickel, how it was found, its melting point, and some interesting facts, so let's start learning.
Shiny Coin
What is Nickel?
In the periodic table, nickel is placed in the First row of the 10th column nickel is also considered a transition element due to its location in the d-block elements and has the property of having different oxidation states by losing different or gaining a few numbers of electrons in its atom.
An atom of Nickel element has 28 electrons and protons along with 30 neutrons in its most abundant form. Scientifically, the nickel symbol is ‘Ni’.
Nickel Facts
Below are listed some of the characteristics and properties of nickel element:
This element is shiny and silvery white in colour, which is hard to an extent but is also malleable.
It has magnetic properties at room temperature, can also be polished to a shiny surface, and is used to coat surfaces of various elements to prevent them from corrosion.
Nickel is one of the essential elements in making the core of our planet Earth.
It is one of the most abundant elements in earth's crust. Mostly pure nickel is mined from various ores. Russia, Canada and Australia are among the world's largest nickel producers.
Nickel was primarily discovered in 1751. It was mined for the use of various industries and primarily for its magnetic, electric and heat-conducting properties.
Astonishingly, the metalloids or the fragments of asteroids that enter Earth's atmosphere and crash on the surface are made of nickel and iron, just like the core of the earth.
It is believed that most of the nickel found in Canada is primarily bought by a metalloid clash over the surface of the land span of the country.
Nickel has about five stable isotopes that occur in nature, namely nickel 58, nickel-60, nickel-61, 62 and 64, but the most abundant one is nickel 58.
Properties of Nickel Element
Nickel Symbol - Ni
Atomic Number of Nickel Element - 28
Atomic Weight of Nickel Element: 58.6934
Classification of Nickel Element: Transition metallic element
Phase at Room Temperature of Nickel Element: Solid
The Density of Nickel Element: 8.9 grams per cm cubed
Melting Point of Nickel Element: 1455°C, 2651°F
Boiling Point of Nickel Element: 2913°C, 5275°F
Nickel was Discovered: in the year 1751 by Axel Cronstedt.
Nickel Facts
Till now, we saw all the facts and properties of the element of nickel. Now let's look at some interesting nickel facts:
A five-cent coin is known as a Nickel in the United States and is made up of about 75% of copper and 25% of nickel.
Nickel is the second most abundant element in Earth's crust after iron.
Nickel can also be found as a component in some plant cells as well as some microbes.
Glasses are given a greenish tint to them by the application of nickel on it.
The percentage of nickel recycled every year to that of the amount used every year is about 39% only.
Just like in nickel, iron and cobalt also have similar magnetic properties to them.
Summary
To conclude all the learnings from this article, we can say that nickel has been useful for various purposes since its discovery. It is employed as a magnet and a good heat conductor and much more. In this article, we also learned about nickel properties that are unique and make them different from other elements in the periodic table. We hope that this article cleared all your doubts regarding the nickel element.
FAQs on Nickel: Properties, Facts & Everyday Uses
1. What are the basic properties of the nickel element?
Nickel, represented by the chemical symbol Ni, is a transition metal with atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white, hard, and ductile metal that is solid at room temperature. Its atomic mass is approximately 58.69 u, and it is known for being one of the few elements that are ferromagnetic at or near room temperature.
2. What are the most common uses of nickel in everyday life?
Nickel is highly valued for its resistance to corrosion and its ability to form strong alloys. Its main uses include:
- Alloys: It is a key component in stainless steel and other superalloys used in the aerospace and industrial sectors.
- Coins: The U.S. five-cent coin, famously called a "nickel," is an alloy of 25% nickel and 75% copper.
- Batteries: It is essential for rechargeable batteries, such as nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries used in electronics and hybrid vehicles.
- Electroplating: A thin layer of nickel is often coated onto other metals to provide a shiny, protective finish that prevents rust.
3. Why is nickel so important for making alloys like stainless steel?
Nickel is crucial for alloys primarily due to its exceptional ability to resist corrosion and oxidation, even at very high temperatures. When added to iron to create stainless steel, it significantly enhances the material's strength, toughness, and durability. This protective property prevents the formation of rust and allows the alloy to be used in harsh environments, from kitchen sinks to industrial machinery.
4. What is the difference between nickel's symbol and its chemical formula?
This is a common point of confusion. As a pure chemical element, nickel does not have a chemical formula; instead, it is represented by a unique chemical symbol, which is Ni. A chemical formula, like H₂O for water, shows the ratio of different elements in a compound. Since elemental nickel consists of only nickel atoms, it is simply referred to by its symbol.
5. What are the common oxidation states of nickel?
The most common and chemically stable oxidation state for nickel in its compounds is +2 (Ni²⁺). While other states like +1 and +3 are known to exist in specific chemical complexes, the vast majority of nickel compounds students encounter in chemistry will feature the Ni²⁺ ion. This ability to have multiple oxidation states is a characteristic feature of transition metals.
6. Is nickel found in living organisms like plants and humans?
Yes, nickel is an essential micronutrient for many living organisms, although it is required in very small quantities. In plants, it plays a role in nitrogen metabolism. In the human body, it is believed to be important for certain enzyme functions. A typical human diet, including foods like nuts, grains, and chocolate, provides the necessary trace amounts of nickel.
7. How does nickel's ferromagnetic property compare to that of iron?
Both nickel and iron are ferromagnetic, meaning they can be strongly magnetised. However, iron is a "soft" magnetic material, which means it magnetises and demagnetises easily. Nickel, on the other hand, is a "harder" magnetic material, retaining its magnetism more strongly once magnetised. This property makes nickel and its alloys valuable in creating permanent magnets and other magnetic storage components.
8. Who discovered the element nickel and where does its name come from?
Nickel was first isolated and identified as a new element in 1751 by the Swedish chemist Baron Axel Fredrik Cronstedt. The name "nickel" has an unusual origin, derived from the German term "kupfernickel," meaning "devil's copper." Medieval miners in Germany found an ore that looked like copper ore but yielded no copper, so they blamed a mischievous sprite, or "nickel," for tricking them.
