Nickel (Ni)
"Meet Captain Corrosion-Resist, the tough-as-nails hero who strengthens alloys, battles rust, and brings a brilliant shine to everything from coins to jet engines!"
A memorable persona to anchor Ni in your mind.
8.908
Grams per cm³
1455
Celsius (°C)
163
Radius (pm)
Daily Life Link
That shiny five-cent coin in your pocket? Say hello to a significant dose of Nickel!
Discovery & History
Year Discovered
1751
Discovered By
Axel Fredrik Cronstedt
Origin of Name
"The name is the shortened for of the German 'kupfernickel' meaning either devil's copper or St. Nicholas's copper."
Technical Properties
Atomic Mass
58.693 u
Standard State
solid
Boiling Point
2913°C
Electron Configuration
[Ar] 3d84s2
1st Ionization Energy
7.64 eV
Electron Affinity
N/A
Oxidation States
"A shiny, silvery-white metal that gleams with strength and a slight golden hue."
Did You Know?
Coinage King! The US five-cent coin, often called a 'nickel,' isn't 100% nickel, but it's 25% nickel and 75% copper, giving it that classic silvery look. Many other coins worldwide also contain nickel!
Magnetic Marvel! Nickel is one of only four elements that are ferromagnetic at room temperature (along with iron, cobalt, and gadolinium)! This means it can be strongly magnetized and used in magnets.
Stainless Superstar! Mix nickel with iron and chromium, and BAM! You get stainless steel, a super-strong, corrosion-resistant material that keeps your kitchen utensils and medical instruments sparkling clean.
Earth's Fiery Heart! Scientists believe a massive amount of nickel, along with iron, makes up the Earth's inner and outer core, playing a crucial role in generating our planet's protective magnetic field.