Atomic structure of Nickel

Introduction :
Nickel was accidentally discovered by Axel F Cronstendt when he was trying to isolate the element from its mineral ore kupfernickel in Sweden taking it to be copper. Nickel is mostly available in the pentlandite [(Ni, Fe)9S8] and garnierite ores found in countries like South Africa, Russia, Australia and Canada. It was discovered 250 years ago. It is the fifth most abundant element on earth.

Structure for Atomic structure of Nickel

Nickel is a group 10 element and is one of the transition elements holding an atomic number of 28. With an atomic number 28, nickel has 28 electrons in various energy levels or these electrons are distributed in the orbitals of the atom.

As the atomic number of nickel is 28 it has 28 protons and 28 electrons. It has 31 neutrons in the atom's nucleus. The electrons assigned to different orbitals are 2, 8,16,2. The electron configuration of nickel can be written as 1s2 2s2p6 3s2p6d8 4s2 . The only Ferro-magnetic elements are nickel, iron & cobalt and among them nickel is supposed to be least magnetic.

Atomic structure of Nickel – properties and uses

Properties:

Nickel is corrosion resistant but it is soluble in acids. Alkalis do not affect Nickel though. 58.6934is the atomic mass of nickel. 2732 degree Celsius is its boiling point. 1453 degree Celsius is its melting point. 6.59 cm³/mole is its molar volume. Its density is 8.9g/cc.

Uses of Nickel:

Electroplating and for formation of metal alloys nickel is used because of its resistance to corrosion. It is also used as catalyst in nickel-cadmium batteries. It is also the main constituent in coins. Because of durability, strength and corrosion resistance nickel alloys are the most sought after compared to other alloys. In animals, nickel along with iron plays an important role of transporting oxygen in blood. It is part of enzyme functioning in plants & animals. Whole grains such as oats are excellent source of nickel. It is also part of genetic code DNA & RNA. In many cordless appliances, nickel-cadmium batteries are commonly used.

Conclusion for Atomic structure of Nickel

As per the discussion on atomic structure of nickel, we came to know that, other metals can be used in place of nickel and one more reason is its cost effectiveness, nickel is the most preferred metal.