Element 28 · Nickel (Ni)
Nickel Bohr model: diagram and electrons per shell
The nickel Bohr model shows a nickel atom (Ni) as a small nucleus with its electrons circling it in 4 shells: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 16 in shell M and 2 in shell N. This page has a rotating 3D nickel Bohr model, a flat diagram, a table of the electrons in each shell and the steps to draw it yourself.
Rotate the nickel Bohr model in 3D
Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom.
This is a Bohr model of nickel (Ni), a simplified picture of a single nickel atom. Its nucleus holds 28 protons, and a neutral nickel atom has 28 electrons, arranged around it in 4 shells (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 16 in shell M and 2 in shell N).
Nickel Bohr model diagram
Nickel electrons per shell
A neutral nickel atom has 28 electrons, one for each of its 28 protons. They fill the shells from the nucleus outwards: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 16 in shell M and 2 in shell N.
| Shell | Shell number (n) | Electrons | Most it can hold (2n²) | Subshells |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1s2 |
| L | 2 | 8 | 8 | 2s2 2p6 |
| M | 3 | 16 | 18 | 3s2 3p6 3d8 |
| N | 4 | 2 | 32 | 4s2 |
How the nickel Bohr model builds up, shell by shell
Watch the nickel Bohr model come together: the nucleus first, then each shell in turn, from the innermost outwards, with its electrons joining the ring. The legend names every shell and counts its electrons, so you can read off the arrangement (2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 16 in shell M and 2 in shell N) as it forms.
How to draw the nickel Bohr model
- Find the atomic number. Nickel has atomic number 28, so a neutral atom has 28 protons and 28 electrons.
- Draw the nucleus. Put a circle in the centre and write Ni in it. The 28 protons sit there with the neutrons.
- Draw the shells. Sketch 4 shells as rings around the nucleus. A shell holds at most 2n² electrons: 2 in the first, 8 in the second, 18 in the third and 32 in the fourth.
- Place the electrons. Fill from the inside out: 2 in shell K, 8 in shell L, 16 in shell M and 2 in shell N.
- Check the total. 2 + 8 + 16 + 2 = 28, the atomic number, so every electron is accounted for.
Atomic data for the nickel Bohr model
The numbers behind the nickel Bohr model, grouped by topic. Radii are in picometres (pm) and energies in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Identity
- Symbol
- Ni
- Atomic number
- 28
- Atomic mass
- 58.6934 u
- Family
- Transition Metals
- Position
- group 10, period 4
- Block
- d-block
Electron configuration
- Full
- 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 4s2 3d8
- Shorthand
- [Ar] 3d8 4s2
- Electrons per shell
- 2, 8, 16, 2
- Outer-shell electrons
- 2 in shell N
Ionisation energies
- I₁
- 737.1
- I₂
- 1753
- I₃
- 3395
- I₄
- 5300
- I₅
- 7339
- I₆
- 10400
- I₇
- 12800
- I₈
- 15600
Energy to remove each electron in turn (kJ/mol). A sharp jump means the next electron comes from an inner shell.
Atomic radii
- Calculated (pm)
- 149
- Empirical (pm)
- 135
- Covalent (pm)
- 110
- Van der Waals (pm)
- 163
Electronegativity and electron affinity
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.91
- Electron affinity (kJ/mol)
- 111.65
Oxidation states
+2
Charges the element commonly takes in compounds.
Physical properties, abundance and history of nickel
Bulk properties of nickel, how common it is, who discovered it and some of its compounds.
Physical properties
- Phase at room conditions
- Solid
- Appearance
- Lustrous, metallic, and silver with a gold tinge
- Melting point
- 1454.85°C (1728 K)
- Boiling point
- 2729.85°C (3003 K)
- Density
- 8.908 g/cm³
- Thermal conductivity (W/m·K)
- 90.9
- Specific heat (J/g·K)
- 0.444
- Molar heat capacity (J/mol·K)
- 26.07
- Heat of fusion (kJ/mol)
- 17.61
- Heat of vaporisation (kJ/mol)
- 378.6
Abundance
- Earth's crust (mg/kg)
- 84
- Oceans (mg/L)
- 0.001
Discovery
- Discovered by
- Axel Fredrik Cronstedt
- Year
- 1751
Common compounds
- Nickel Ni
- Nickel Sulfate NiO4S
- Nickel sulfate hexahydrate H12NiO10S
- Nickelocene C10H10Ni
- Nickel bis(dibutyldithiocarbamate) C18H36N2NiS4
- Nickel Dichloride Cl2Ni
- Nickel difluoride F2Ni
- Nickel tetracarbonyl C4NiO4
Compounds listed in the PubChem database.
Main isotopes of nickel
Isotopes of nickel share the same 28 protons but differ in neutrons. Natural isotopes come first, then the longest-lived others.
| Mass number | Natural abundance | Half-life | Decay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | 68.077 % | stable | 2β⁺ |
| 59 | – | 81 ky | β⁺ |
| 60 | 26.223 % | stable | – |
| 61 | 1.14 % | stable | – |
| 62 | 3.635 % | stable | – |
| 64 | 0.926 % | stable | – |
α = alpha decay, β⁻ = beta-minus, β⁺ = beta-plus, EC = electron capture, SF = spontaneous fission, p / n = proton / neutron emission.
More about nickel
- Nickel on the periodic table – properties, isotopes, uses and the full nickel page.
- Transition Metals – all transition metal elements and their trends.
- Bohr model of every element – the Bohr model of all 118 elements.