Q. German silver is an alloy of
(1) Fe, Cr, Ni
(2) Ag, Cu, Au
(3) Cu, Zn, Ni
(4) Cu, Zn, Sn
Ans. Cu, Zn, Ni
The colour of German silver is silver-white.
Metals such as copper, zinc, and nickel, as well as tin and lead, can be found in it. However, the alloy must contain Ni, Cu, and Zn.
As a result, German silver is a Cu, Ni, and Zn alloy.
German silver is a copper, zinc, and nickel alloy with trace amounts of lead and tin. It was given that name because of its silver-white colour, but the term “silver” is now banned for alloys that do not include that metal. The percentages of the three components in German silver vary, with copper (50%) being the most common, zinc (19%) being the second most common, and nickel being the third most common (30 percent ). In commercial alloys, the proportions are always indicated. Because of its hardness and corrosion resistance, German silver is widely used. It was discovered in the early 1800s by the German E.A. Geitner.
As a compound or a solution, an alloy is a metallic material made up of two or more elements. The constituents of alloys are usually metals, while carbon, a nonmetal, is a necessary component of steel. Typically, alloys are made by melting a mixture of components. Alloys have been valued since ancient times, with brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin) being particularly valuable. The alloy steels, which are broadly described as steels having considerable amounts of elements other than iron and carbon, are the most important nowadays.
Chromium, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, silicon, tungsten, vanadium, and boron are the most common alloying elements in steel. Hardness, toughness, corrosion resistance, magnetizability, and ductility are just a few of the distinctive qualities of alloy steels. In coinage, nonferrous alloys, primarily copper–nickel, bronze, and aluminium alloys, are often employed. Because silicon provides strength while reducing corrosion resistance, it may be regarded a contaminant or a desirable component in aluminium, depending on the application.