Nickel is a transition metal, one of the elements in the middle of the periodic table in Rows 4, 5, and 6 between Groups 2 and 13. Nickel's atomic number is 28, its atomic mass is 58.69, and its chemical symbol is Ni

Properties

Nickel is a silvery white metal and is both ductile and malleable. Its melting point is 2,831°F (1,555°C), its boiling point is 5,135°F (2,835°C), and its density is 8.90 grams per cubic centimeter. Nickel is one of three naturally occurring elements that is strongly magnetic, the other two being iron and cobalt.

Nickel is a relatively unreactive element that does not react with oxygen or water at room temperature. At higher temperatures, it becomes more active reacting, for example, with oxygen to form nickel oxide (NiO) and with steam to give nickel oxide and hydrogen gas (H₂.

Occurrence and Extraction

Nickel ranks about 22nd among the chemical elements...