Is a nickel a pure substance?

Answer 1

Pure Nickel is an element which contains only atoms of Nickel.

The metal nickel is an element so by definition it's pure.

Coins called nickels are usually made of alloys, i.e. mixtures of various elements. The only two countries whose 5-cent coins have that name are the US and Canada, and the coins' composition varies by year. In fact, there are many years when despite their name, the coins didn't contain any nickel at all; that was usually due to wartime shortages.

US Nickels

• 75% copper, 25% nickel: 1866 to late 1942, 1946 to the present
• 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese: late 1942 to 1945

Canadian Nickels

• 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating: 2000-present
• 75% copper, 25% nickel: 1982-1999 along with limited use in 2000, 2001, and 2006
• 99.9% nickel (effectively pure): 1922-1942, 1946-1951, 1955-1981
• steel plated with chrome: 1944-1945 and 1951-1954
• tombac (88% copper, 12% zinc): 1942-1943

Answer 2

Pure Nickel is an element which contains only atoms of Nickel.

The metal nickel is an element so by definition it's pure.

Coins called nickels are usually made of alloys, i.e. mixtures of various elements. The only two countries whose 5-cent coins have that name are the US and Canada, and the coins' composition varies by year. In fact, there are many years when despite their name, the coins didn't contain any nickel at all; that was usually due to wartime shortages.

US Nickels

• 75% copper, 25% nickel: 1866 to late 1942, 1946 to the present
• 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese: late 1942 to 1945

Canadian Nickels

• 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating: 2000-present
• 75% copper, 25% nickel: 1982-1999 along with limited use in 2000, 2001, and 2006
• 99.9% nickel (effectively pure): 1922-1942, 1946-1951, 1955-1981
• steel plated with chrome: 1944-1945 and 1951-1954
• tombac (88% copper, 12% zinc): 1942-1943

Answer 3

Pure Nickel is an element which contains only atoms of Nickel.

The metal nickel is an element so by definition it's pure.

Coins called nickels are usually made of alloys, i.e. mixtures of various elements. The only two countries whose 5-cent coins have that name are the US and Canada, and the coins' composition varies by year. In fact, there are many years when despite their name, the coins didn't contain any nickel at all; that was usually due to wartime shortages.

US Nickels

• 75% copper, 25% nickel: 1866 to late 1942, 1946 to the present
• 56% copper, 35% silver, 9% manganese: late 1942 to 1945

Canadian Nickels

• 94.5% steel, 3.5% copper, 2% nickel plating: 2000-present
• 75% copper, 25% nickel: 1982-1999 along with limited use in 2000, 2001, and 2006
• 99.9% nickel (effectively pure): 1922-1942, 1946-1951, 1955-1981
• steel plated with chrome: 1944-1945 and 1951-1954
• tombac (88% copper, 12% zinc): 1942-1943

Answer 4

No, a nickel is not a pure substance. It is an element composed primarily of nickel atoms, but it can also contain trace amounts of other elements.