Wordology, Nickel

The name for this metal began during 18th century by  Swedish mineralogist Axel von Cronstedt from the Swedish 'kopparnickel', which was taken from the German 'Kupfernickel'.


Copper miners named this different metal ore Kupfernickel, which literally translates as copper-devil. The German word Nickel, related to the name Nicholas, an antiquated term for a mythological spirit that haunts houses, caves, and mines. They used this term because they were often fooled into thinking that nickel ore was copper.

During the second half of the 19th century, people began to refer to small coins as nickels, because they were made of nickel rather than copper. Today a US nickel is 75% copper and 25% nickel.

Atoms, Particles and Molecules

Atoms are the smallest pieces of matter; they are made of particles (protons and electrons). When atoms are grouped together, the groups are called molecules, which are the smallest bits of compounds.

By way of example, within the element copper, a copper atom is the smallest piece of copper that exists. Hydrogen is an element; two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom combine to form a molecule of water, which is a compound.

Element - a basic substance that can't be simplified, such as copper
Atom - the smallest amount of an element, such as copper atom
Molecule - two or more atoms that are chemically joined together, such as hydrogen or oxygen
Compound - a molecule that contains more than one element, such as water

Another Ten Interesting Facts About Humans

1. Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day. Am glad I have not grown up.
   
2. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
3. The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood 30 feet.
4. The brain operates on the same amount of power as 10-watt light bulb. Your brain generates as much energy as a small light bulb even when you are sleeping.
5. The brain is much more active at night than during the day.
6. The brain itself cannot feel pain. The brain might be the pain center when you cut your finger or burn yourself, but the brain itself does not have pain receptors.
7. The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger and the nail on the middle finger of your dominant hand will grow the fastest of all. Nail growth is related to the length of the finger, with the longest fingers growing nails the fastest and shortest the slowest.
8. The lifespan of a human hair is 3 to 7 years on average.
9. Human hair is virtually indestructible. Aside from it’s flammability, human hair decays at such a slow rate that it is practically non-disintegrative. Hair cannot be destroyed by cold, change of climate, water, or other natural forces and it is resistant to many kinds of acids and corrosive chemicals.
10. The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dissolve razorblades. Hydrochloric acid, the type found in your stomach, is not only good at dissolving pizza, but can also eat through many types of metal.