Question

German silver is an alloy of:
A. Copper, Zinc and Nickel
B. Copper and Silver
C. Copper and Tin
D. Copper, Zinc and Silver

Answer 1

Hint:German silver was originally named for its silver-white colour, but the term 'silver' is now prohibited for alloys not containing that metal.

Complete step by step answer:
Let us begin by looking into German silver as a substance, its chemical and physical properties and how it is used in everyday life.
-German silver or nickel silver is an alloy whose main component is copper with varying quantities of nickel and zinc and is occasionally found to have trace amounts of tin and lead. -It is known for its toughness, hardness and corrosion resistance. From its name, some people mistakenly think that one of its constituents is silver. But it bears that word in its name due to its silver-white colour.
-German silver varies in composition, the percentage of the three elements ranges a lot with copper having the highest percentage and zinc having the least. The proportions are always specified in commercial alloys. German silver is widely used because of its hardness, toughness, and resistance to corrosion for articles such as tableware, fittings in parts of ships that are under the sea, and plumbing fixtures. Due to its high electrical resistance, it is used also in heating coils.

Therefore, we can safely conclude that the answer to this question is ‘A. Copper, zinc, and nickel’.

Note:
Prolonged contact of copper alloys with acidic food or beverages (including boiling milk) can leach out the copper and cause toxicity. Long-term, low doses can lead to cirrhosis. Many people have allergic reactions to nickel, causing a rash that will not heal as long as the metal is in contact with the skin.