Question

Which among the following metals is not present in German silver?
(A) Cu
(B) Ag
(C) Zn
(D) Ni

Answer 1

Hint: German silver is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc and sometimes it contains lead and tin also. They were originally named for their silver-white color, but use of the term silver is now prohibited for alloys not containing that particular metal.

Complete step by step solution:
German silver was discovered by a German industrial chemist, E.A.Geitner. It is an alloy of carbon, nickel and zinc.
Hence, Ag is not present in German silver.
The percentage of the three elements ranging approximately are as follows:
Copper, from $50\% $ to $61.6\% $
Zinc from $17\% $ to $19\% $ and,
Nickel from $21\% $ to $30\% $
However, German silver is extensively used because of its hardness, toughness and resistance to corrosion for articles such as tableware (commonly silver plated), marine fittings and plumbing fixtures.
Because of its high electrical resistance, it is also used in heating coils.

Hence, option B is correct.

Note: As German silver is more like silver (though it does not have silver in it), it gets oxidized and when kept in a very dark place, it turns black in color. However, its value is determined by the object that it is used for. Some objects of German silver are highly collectible due to the quality of the craftsmanship.