Nickel (Ni)
Element 28 · Transition metal · atomic mass 58.693 u · group 10, period 4
Electron shells: 2, 8, 16, 2
Nickel resists corrosion even when hot, which makes it the workhorse of stainless steel and plating. Growing battery demand has turned it into a strategic metal.
The US five-cent "nickel" is actually 75% copper.
- Atomic number
- 28
- Atomic mass
- 58.693 u
- Electron configuration
- [Ar] 4s² 3d⁸
- Group · period · block
- 10 · 4 · d
- Oxidation states
- +2, +3
- Electronegativity
- 1.91 (Pauling)
- Melting point
- 1,455 °C
- Boiling point
- 2,913 °C
- Density
- 8.912 g/cm³
- State at 20 °C
- Solid
- Appearance
- Lustrous, silvery-white metal
- Discovered
- Axel Fredrik Cronstedt, 1751
28 protons, and 28 electrons when neutral
IUPAC standard atomic weight
Nickel group
What Nickel is used for
- Stainless steel
- Battery cathodes
- Electroplating and coinage
- Superalloys and catalysts
Atomic structure of Nickel
A neutral nickel atom has 28 protons and 28 electrons. Its most common isotope carries about 31 neutrons, which is where the mass number 59 comes from. Change the neutron count and you have a different isotope of nickel; change the proton count and you have a different element entirely.
Those electrons fill shells from the inside out: 2, 8, 16, 2. In orbital notation that is [Ar] 4s² 3d⁸. As a d-block element its valence count is variable, which is why it can form compounds in several oxidation states.
3D electron orbitals
See where Nickel's electrons actually are — a cloud of 26,000 points sampled from the probability density |ψ|², not a cartoon of a lobe.
Where Nickel sits in the periodic table
Discovery and naming
Nickel was discovered by Axel Fredrik Cronstedt in 1751. Its name comes from German Kupfernickel, "devil's copper".
Keep exploring
Atomic weight from IUPAC/CIAAW; physical properties from PubChem (US National Library of Medicine). Values that have never been measured are shown as “not measured” rather than estimated.
Related Calculators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the atomic mass of Nickel?
The standard atomic weight of Nickel is 58.693 u, as published by IUPAC's Commission on Isotopic Abundances and Atomic Weights.
How many protons, neutrons and electrons does Nickel have?
Nickel has 28 protons, because the atomic number is the proton count and that is what makes an atom Nickel at all. A neutral Nickel atom has the same number of electrons, 28. The neutron count varies by isotope; the most common one has about 31, since 59 − 28 = 31.
What is the electron configuration of Nickel?
The electron configuration of Nickel is [Ar] 4s² 3d⁸. Its electrons are arranged 2, 8, 16, 2 across 4 shells.
Is Nickel a metal?
Yes. Nickel is classified as a transition metal, on the metallic side of the table.
What group and period is Nickel in?
Nickel is in group 10 (the nickel group), period 4, in the d-block. The group is its column and the period is its row.
What is the charge of Nickel?
Nickel most commonly forms a 2+ ion. Like most transition metals it has several accessible oxidation states, so the charge depends on the compound. Across all its compounds it shows oxidation states of +2, +3.
What is the melting point of Nickel?
Nickel melts at 1,455 °C and boils at 2,913 °C. That puts it in the solids at everyday temperatures.
What is Nickel used for?
Stainless steel, Battery cathodes, Electroplating and coinage, Superalloys and catalysts. Nickel resists corrosion even when hot, which makes it the workhorse of stainless steel and plating.
Who discovered Nickel, and where does its name come from?
Nickel (Ni) was discovered by Axel Fredrik Cronstedt in 1751. The name comes from German Kupfernickel, "devil's copper".