Question

Give the composition of the following alloys.

German silver

Answer 1

Alloys:

• An alloy is a substance that is formed from the combination of two or more metals or from combinations of metals and other elements.
• It can be defined as a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals or a metal and a nonmetal.
• Alloys have different physical properties of the constituent metals with which they are made.
• We have to try to combine the metals in such a way that the alloys formed will have desirable properties.

German silver:

• German silver is a silvery-white alloy that is composed of Copper ($50$ to $80\%$), Zinc ($10$ to $35\%$), and Nickel ($5$ to $35\%$).
• It was used as an inexpensive, non-tarnishing substitute for silver.
• German silver is used because of its hardness, and resistance to corrosion.
• Since it is having high electrical resistance it is also used in heating coils.

Therefore, the composition of German silver is Copper ($50$ to $80\%$), Zinc ($10$ to $35\%$), and Nickel ($5$ to $35\%$).