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Wikijunior:The Elements/Nickel

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Shows the position of Nickel on the periodic chart.
Nickel's symbol on the Periodic Table

What does it look, feel, taste, or smell like?

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This is a hunk of nickel.

Nickel is a silvery white metal.

How was it discovered?

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Nickel was discovered in 1751 in Stockholm, Sweden by a Swedish scientist named Axel Fredric Cronstedt.

Where did its name come from?

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Nickel was named after a mischievous German sprite, Nickel, after miners blamed him for being unable to extract any copper from what they thought was copper ore, but which actually contained nickel.

Did You Know?

  • US nickel coins are only 25% nickel; the other 75% is copper.
  • Some hooks have a layer of nickel so that they oxidize in a slower rate.

Where is it found?

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The largest producers of Nickel are the Philippines, Indonesia, Russia, Australia, and Canada (in that order). It was recently discovered in Nigeria (Dangoma).

What are its uses?

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Nickel is used to make nickels. This one is from World War Two

Nickel is found in many coins including, of course, nickels.

Is it dangerous?

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Nickel compounds are classified as human carcinogens. Nickel can cause allergic reactions from skin contact. This is sometimes a problem with earrings for pierced ears, but many earrings are now made without nickel for this reason.

References

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