Question

You have another friend who likes to design jewelry. She has used copper to make a pair of earrings. She is concerned that they will oxidize quickly when people wear them due to sweat. After a discussion, you both decide that Nickel plating the earrings may extend the life of the earring and reduce corrosion as someone wears them. You know your teacher has some Nickel (II) Hydroxide and Nickel (II) sulphate in the lab. Which would you choose to be the solution? Explain why?

a) Nickel (II) Hydroxide, as it provides a stronger coating
b) Nickel (II) Sulphate, as it reacts better with copper
c) Both options are equally effective
d) None of the solutions would prevent oxidation

Answer 1

To nickel plate the copper earrings and reduce corrosion, Nickel (II) Sulphate would be the preferred solution to use as it provides the necessary nickel ions for the plating process.

Step-by-step explanation:

To extend the life of the copper earrings and reduce corrosion, nickel plating can be applied. In this case, Nickel (II) Sulphate would be the preferred solution to use for nickel plating. Nickel (II) Sulphate provides the necessary nickel ions for the plating process, while Nickel (II) Hydroxide does not. Therefore, Nickel (II) Sulphate would be a more suitable choice for achieving a nickel coating on the earrings, which can help protect them from oxidation caused by sweat.