Other applications for nickel include batteries, coins, guitar strings, and armor plate. Nickel is often combined with iron and other metals to make strong magnets. Nickel steels, such as stainless steel, are strong and corrosion resistant. The majority of nickel that is mined today is used to make nickel steels and alloys. A large nickel deposit in Canada is thought be from a giant meteorite that crashed to earth thousands of years ago. Nickel is also found in meteorites where it is often found in conjunction with iron. The largest producers of nickel are Russia, Canada, and Australia. Most nickel that is mined for industrial use is found in ores such as pentlandite, garnierite, and limonite. It is also found in the Earth's crust where it is about the twenty-second most abundant element. Nickel is one of the primary elements of the Earth's core which is thought to be made mostly of nickel and iron. It is also a decent conductor of electricity and heat. Nickel can be polished to a shine and resists corrosion. Nickel is one of the few elements that is magnetic at room temperature. Under standard conditions nickel is a silvery-white metal that is fairly hard, but malleable. Nickel atoms have 28 electrons and 28 protons with 30 neutrons in the most abundant isotope. Nickel is the first element in the tenth column of the periodic table.

Nickel periodic table