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What is it and where is it formed?
Nickel is an element that is usually found with
iron. It is rare and scientists think that the Earth’s core
might have a lot of it. |
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How and where is it mined?
Nickel is mined using
open pit and
underground mining. When
the ore is mined, the nickel has to be taken out of it.
There are different ways to get the nickel out of ore. One
way is smelting where the ore is heated with chemicals until
it separates from the ore. Sometimes very high heat will be
enough to cause the ore to separate from the nickel without
using chemicals. Nickel is found in Russia, Canada,
Australia, and New Caledonia. |
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What is it used for?
Nickel is used in stainless steel, glassmaking, magnets,
bullet-proof safes, coins, and rechargeable batteries. Most
nickel is combined with other metals when it is used. It is
also used for mineral collections. |
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A Swedish chemist, named Axel
Cronstedt, discovered nickel in 1751. |
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Mineral Characteristic |
What the
mineralogists say |
Kid's Guide: What it REALLY
means! |
| Chemical Symbol |
Ni |
It
is an
Element on the Periodic Table of Elements |
| Color |
Silvery white |
When
it is in its ore, it is silvery white. |
| Streak |
Gray
metallic |
If
you crush this metal, its dust will be metallic gray. |
| Transparency |
Opaque |
You
can’t see through it and light can’t pass through it. |
| Luster |
Metallic |
If
you shine a light on it, it shines like glass. |
| Cleavage |
None |
It
doesn’t break in a pattern. |
| Fracture |
Hackly |
When
it is broken, it breaks into pieces that have lots of
jagged edges. |
| Magnetism |
Yes |
Nickel is strongly magnetic. |
| Hardness |
4.5 |
It
is hard enough that a fingernail won’t scratch it but a
metal, building nail will. |
| Specific gravity |
8 |
It
is very heavy. |
| Crystal Shape |
Cubic |
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Iron meteorites have nickel in them. |
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Links:
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Early miners
thought nickel was cursed. |
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Printer
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Citations:
“Nickel.” 11 Jan. 2006. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel>.
“Nickel.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.
"Nickel." Nickel. 03 Nov. 2005 <http://www.answers.com/nickel>. |
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