Nickel (Ni)
Element 28 · Transition metal · Solid at 25 °C · Group 10, Period 4
Nickel resists corrosion, which earns it a place in stainless steel, plating, and coins — including the U.S. five-cent piece that borrowed its name.
On the periodic table, nickel sits in group 10 in period 4. It is one of 38 elements classified as a transition metal, and at room temperature (25 °C) it is a solid.
Transition metals occupy the wide d-block in the middle of the table. As a family they are hard, dense, high-melting metals that conduct heat and electricity well. Their partly filled d-orbitals let many of them take several oxidation states, form vividly colored compounds, and act as catalysts — which is why so much of industry, and so much of biology, runs on this block.
Properties of nickel
| Atomic number (Z) | 28 |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Ni |
| Atomic mass | 58.693 |
| Category | Transition metal |
| Group | 10 |
| Period | 4 |
| Block | d-block |
| Metal / nonmetal | Metal |
| State at 25 °C | Solid |
| Electron configuration | [Ar] 3d8 4s2 |
| Electronegativity (Pauling) | 1.91 |
| Melting point | 1,455 °C (1,728.15 K / 2,651 °F) |
| Boiling point | 2,913 °C (3,186.15 K / 5,275.4 °F) |
| Density | 8.908 g/cm³ |
Position in the periodic table
Nickel shares group 10 with Palladium (Pd), Platinum (Pt), Darmstadtium (Ds). Elements in the same group have the same number of outer electrons, so they tend to behave alike chemically — comparing them is one of the fastest ways to see periodic trends in action.
Physical properties
Nickel melts at 1,455 °C (1,728.15 K / 2,651 °F) and boils at 2,913 °C (3,186.15 K / 5,275.4 °F), giving it a liquid range of about 1,458 °C at standard pressure.
Its density is 8.908 g/cm³.
See also: the interactive periodic table, how to read the periodic table, periodic trends.