Nickel vs. Silver — What's the Difference?

Nickel is a silvery-white, hard, malleable, and ductile metal.

Silver has high electrical and thermal conductivity.

Nickel is magnetic at room temperature.

Silver coins were historically used as currency.

Nickel is a chemical element with the symbol Ni.

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin argentum, derived from the Proto-Indo-European h₂erǵ: "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal.

Nickel is a chemical element with the symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge.

Symbol Ag A lustrous white, ductile, malleable metallic element, occurring both uncombined and in ores such as argentite, having the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of the metals. It is highly valued for jewelry, tableware, and other ornamental use and is widely used in coinage, photography, dental and soldering alloys, electrical contacts, and printed circuits. Atomic number 47; atomic weight 107.868; melting point 961.78°C; boiling point 2,162°C; specific gravity 10.50 (20°C); valence 1, 2. See Periodic Table.

A silvery-white metal, the chemical element of atomic number 28.

This metallic element as a commodity or medium of exchange.

A five-cent coin; five cents

Coins made of this metallic element.

Coat with nickel

A medal made of silver awarded to one placing second in a competition, as in the Olympics.

Symbol Ni A silvery, hard, ductile, ferromagnetic metallic element used in corrosion-resistant alloys, stainless steel, catalysts for hydrogenation, and batteries, and for electroplating. Atomic number 28; atomic weight 58.69; melting point 1,455°C; boiling point 2,913°C; specific gravity 8.902; valence 0, 1, 2, 3. See Periodic Table.

Domestic articles, such as tableware, made of or plated with silver.

A coin of the United States or Canada worth five cents.

Tableware, especially eating and serving utensils, made of steel or another metal.

To coat with nickel.

A lustrous medium gray.

(uncountable) A silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni.

A silver salt, especially silver nitrate, used to sensitize paper.

A coin worth 5 cents.

Made of or containing silver

Five dollars.

Resembling silver, especially in having a lustrous shine; silvery.

Five hundred dollars.

Of a lustrous medium gray

Interstate 5, a highway that runs along the west coast of the United States.

Having a soft, clear, resonant sound.

(slang) A playing card with the rank of five

Eloquent; persuasive

A five-year prison sentence.

Favoring the adoption of silver as a standard of currency

(American football) A defensive formation with five defensive backs, one of whom is a nickelback, instead of the more common four.

Of or constituting a 25th anniversary.

An airborne propaganda leaflet.

To cover, plate, or adorn with silver or a similar lustrous substance.

Synonym of cheap: Low price and/or low value.

To give a silver color to.

(transitive) To plate with nickel.

To coat (photographic paper) with a film of silver nitrate or other silver salt.

To distribute airborne leaflet propaganda.

To become silvery.

A bright silver-white metallic element of atomic number 28. It is of the iron group, and is hard, malleable, and ductile. It occurs combined with sulphur in millerite, with arsenic in the mineral niccolite, and with arsenic and sulphur in nickel glance. Symbol Ni. Atomic weight 58.70.

(uncountable) A lustrous, white, metallic element, atomic number 47, atomic weight 107.87, symbol Ag.

A small coin made of or containing nickel; esp., a five-cent piece.

Coins made from silver or any similar white metal.

A hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion; used in alloys; occurs in pentlandite and smaltite and garnierite and millerite

Cutlery and other eating utensils, whether silver or made from some other white metal.

A United States coin worth one twentieth of a dollar

Any items made from silver or any other white metal.

Five dollars worth of a drug;

(uncountable) A shiny gray color.

Plate with nickel;

(countable) a silver medal

Nickel is often alloyed with other metals.

Anything resembling silver; something shiny and white.

Nickel is an essential nutrient in trace amounts.

Made from silver.

Made from another white metal.

Having a color like silver: a shiny gray.

Denoting the twenty-fifth anniversary, especially of a wedding.

(of commercial services) Premium, but inferior to gold.

Having the clear, musical tone of silver; soft and clear in sound.

To acquire a silvery colour.

To cover with silver, or with a silvery metal.

To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

To make hoary, or white, like silver.

A soft white metallic element, sonorous, ductile, very malleable, and capable of a high degree of polish. It is found native, and also combined with sulphur, arsenic, antimony, chlorine, etc., in the minerals argentite, proustite, pyrargyrite, ceragyrite, etc. Silver is one of the "noble" metals, so-called, not being easily oxidized, and is used for coin, jewelry, plate, and a great variety of articles. Symbol Ag (Argentum). Atomic weight 107.7. Specific gravity 10.5.

Coin made of silver; silver money.

Anything having the luster or appearance of silver.

The color of silver.

Of or pertaining to silver; made of silver; as, silver leaf; a silver cup.

Resembling silver.

Precious; costly.

To cover with silver; to give a silvery appearance to by applying a metal of a silvery color; as, to silver a pin; to silver a glass mirror plate with an amalgam of tin and mercury.

To polish like silver; to impart a brightness to, like that of silver.

To make hoary, or white, like silver.

To acquire a silvery color.

A soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

Coins made of silver

A light shade of gray

Silverware eating utensils

A medal made of silver (or having the appearance of silver) that is usually awarded for winning second place in a competition

Coat with a layer of silver or a silver amalgam;

Make silver in color;

Turn silver;

Made from or largely consisting of silver;

Having the white lustrous sheen of silver;

Lustrous gray; covered with or tinged with the color of silver;

Expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively;

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag.

Silver is a precious grayish-white metal.

Silver compounds are used in photography.

Nickel is durable and resistant to corrosion, making it suitable for coinage.

Sterling Silver is an alloy containing 92.5% Silver and 7.5% other metals, often copper.

Yes, Nickel is magnetic at room temperature.

No, Nickel is not considered a precious metal, whereas Silver is.

Yes, both are used in jewelry, but Silver is more common for its luster and value.

Yes, some individuals have Nickel allergies, often manifesting as skin reactions.

Not always; many Silver coins are alloys for added durability.

Silver's high electrical conductivity makes it valuable in electronic components.

While Silver is generally corrosion-resistant, Nickel can corrode under specific conditions.

Nickel is often alloyed with metals like chromium, copper, and iron.

Silver tarnish, a result of oxidation, can appear as a black or dark gray color.

Yes, Silver can tarnish when exposed to sulfur compounds in the air.

Yes, Nickel can be found in various products, including kitchenware, coins, and batteries.

By volume, Nickel is denser than Silver.

Yes, both metals are extracted from the earth through mining.