Element - 24 : Chromium (Cr) : āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ (Cr) â Used in stainless steel, car parts.
Basic Information | āĻŽā§āϞāĻŋāĻ āϤāĻĨā§āϝ
- Name: Chromium : āύāĻžāĻŽ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ
- Symbol: Cr : āĻāĻŋāĻšā§āύ: Cr
- Atomic Number: 24 : āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŽāĻžāĻŖāĻŦāĻŋāĻ āϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž: ⧍ā§Ē
- Nature: Metal (Transition Metal) : āĻĒā§āϰāĻā§āϤāĻŋ: āϧāĻžāϤ⧠(āĻā§āϰāĻžāύāĻāĻŋāĻļāύ āϧāĻžāϤā§)
Key Properties | āĻĒā§āϰāϧāĻžāύ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋāώā§āĻā§āϝ
- Hard and shiny metal : āĻļāĻā§āϤ āĻ āĻāĻāĻāĻā§ āϧāĻžāϤā§
- Silver-gray color : āϰā§āĻĒāĻžāϞāĻŋ-āϧā§āϏāϰ āϰāĻ
- Highly resistant to corrosion : āĻŽāϰāĻŋāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϰā§āϧā§
- Forms protective oxide layer : āϏā§āϰāĻā§āώāĻžāĻŽā§āϞāĻ āϏā§āϤāϰ āϤā§āϰāĻŋ āĻāϰā§
- Used in electroplating : āĻāϞā§āĻā§āĻā§āϰā§āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻāϝāĻŧā§ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§āϤ
Structure | āĻāĻ āύ
- 24 protons, 24 electrons : ⧍ā§ĒāĻāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻāύ, ⧍ā§ĒāĻāĻŋ āĻāϞā§āĻāĻā§āϰāύ
- Simple atomic structure : āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŽāĻžāĻŖāĻŦāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻ āύ
Where is Chromium Found ? | āĻā§āĻĨāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻĒāĻžāĻāϝāĻŧāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?
- In minerals like chromite : āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ āĻāύāĻŋāĻā§
- In Earth’s crust : āĻĒā§āĻĨāĻŋāĻŦā§āϰ āĻā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻā§
Why is Chromium Important ?
āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§āϰ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦ
Uses in Daily Life | āĻĻā§āύāύā§āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ
- Used in chrome plating : āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻāϝāĻŧā§ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻšāϝāĻŧ
- Used in stainless steel : āϏā§āĻā§āĻāύāϞā§āϏ āϏā§āĻāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻšāϝāĻŧ
- Used in metal alloys : āϧāĻžāϤāĻŦ āϏāĻāĻāϰ āϤā§āϰāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§āϤ
Advantages | āϏā§āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž
- Prevents rust : āĻŽāϰāĻŋāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϰā§āϧ āĻāϰā§
- Gives shiny finish : āĻāĻāĻāĻā§ āϰāĻ āĻĻā§āϝāĻŧ
- Increases strength of metal : āϧāĻžāϤā§āĻā§ āĻļāĻā§āϤ āĻāϰā§
Fun Fact | āĻŽāĻāĻžāϰ āϤāĻĨā§āϝ
- Chromium is a key element in stainless steel : āϏā§āĻā§āĻāύāϞā§āϏ āϏā§āĻāĻŋāϞ āϤā§āϰāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ
One-Line Revision | āĻāĻ āϞāĻžāĻāύ⧠āĻŽāύ⧠āϰāĻžāĻā§
- Chromium is a shiny metal used to prevent rust and make stainless steel.
- āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻāĻāĻāĻā§ āϧāĻžāϤ⧠āϝāĻž āĻŽāϰāĻŋāĻāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϰā§āϧ āĻāϰ⧠āĻāĻŦāĻ āϏā§āĻā§āĻāύāϞā§āϏ āϏā§āĻāĻŋāϞ āϤā§āϰāĻŋ āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§āϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
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Hard MCQs on Chromium (Cr) – SSC / Railway Level
1. Which oxide layer makes chromium corrosion-resistant ?
Q: Corrosion resistance of chromium is due to formation of — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāĻāĻž āύāϧ⧰āĻž āĻāĻŋāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ — ?
(a) CrâOâ (b) COâ (c) CrO (d) CrâOâ
Ans: (a) CrâOâ
Explanation: Chromium forms a thin layer of chromium oxide (CrâOâ) which protects it from corrosion. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: CrâOâ āϏā§āϤ⧰⧠āϧāĻžāϤā§āĻā§āĻ āϏā§ā§°āĻā§āώāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĨ¤
2. Stainless steel contains chromium in the range of — ?
Q: Chromium percentage in stainless steel — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āϏā§āĻā§āĻāύāϞā§āϏ āϏā§āĻāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻļāϤāĻžāĻāĻļ — ?
(a) 2–4% (b) 5–8% (c) 10–20% (d) 25–30%
Ans: (c) 10–20%
Explanation: Stainless steel contains about 10–20% chromium for corrosion resistance. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāĻŽāĻžāĻŖā§ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāĻāĻž ā§°ā§āϧ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
3. Which property of chromium makes it suitable for electroplating?
Q: Chromium is used in electroplating because of — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Low density (b) High reactivity (c) Lustre & hardness (d) Low melting point
Ans: (c) Lustre & hardness
Explanation: Chromium provides shiny and hard coating. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻāĻāĻā§ āĻā§°ā§ āĻļāĻā§āϤ āϏā§āϤ⧰ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧā§āĨ¤
4. Chromite ore mainly contains — ?
Q: Composition of chromite — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ āĻāύāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻāĻŋ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§ — ?
(a) FeâOâ (b) FeCrâOâ (c) CrOâ (d) FeO
Ans: (b) FeCrâOâ
Explanation: Chromite is iron chromium oxide. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: FeCrâOâ āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻāĨ¤
5. Which oxidation state of chromium is most stable?
Q: Most stable oxidation state of chromium — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻāĻāĻžāĻāϤāĻā§ āϏā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŋāĻļā§āϞ āĻ
ā§ąāϏā§āĻĨāĻž — ?
(a) +2 (b) +3 (c) +6 (d) 0
Ans: (b) +3
Explanation: Cr³âē is most stable due to half-filled tâg orbitals. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: +3 āĻ
ā§ąāϏā§āĻĨāĻž āϏā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŋāĻļā§āϞāĨ¤
6. Chromium compounds are often colored due to — ?
Q: Color of chromium compounds is due to — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āϝā§āĻ ā§°āĻā§āύ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) s-electrons (b) d-electron transitions (c) p-orbitals (d) Nuclear charge
Ans: (b) d-electron transitions
Explanation: Transition metals show color due to d-orbital transitions. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: d-āĻāϞā§āĻā§āĻā§ā§°āύ⧰ āĻāĻžā§°āĻŖā§ ā§°āĻ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
7. Which chromium compound is used as an oxidizing agent?
Q: Strong oxidizing agent of chromium — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻļāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻļāĻžāϞ⧠āĻ
āĻā§āϏāĻŋāĻĄāĻžāĻāĻāĻŋāĻ āĻĒāĻĻāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨ — ?
(a) CrClâ (b) KâCrâOâ (c) CrO (d) CrâOâ
Ans: (b) KâCrâOâ
Explanation: Potassium dichromate is a strong oxidizing agent. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻ āĻļāĻā§āϤāĻŋāĻļāĻžāϞ⧠āĻ
āĻā§āϏāĻŋāĻĄāĻžāĻāĻāĻžā§°āĨ¤
8. Which alloy contains chromium and nickel?
Q: Alloy containing Cr and Ni — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: Cr āĻā§°ā§ Ni āĻĨāĻāĻž āϏāĻāĻā§° — ?
(a) Brass (b) Bronze (c) Stainless steel (d) Solder
Ans: (c) Stainless steel
Explanation: Stainless steel contains chromium and nickel. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻ āϏāĻāĻā§°āϤ āĻĻā§āϝāĻŧā§ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
9. Chromium shows variable valency because — ?
Q: Chromium shows variable valency due to — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻŽāĻžāύ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§ — ?
(a) Large size (b) d-electrons (c) Low energy (d) High density
Ans: (b) d-electrons
Explanation: Transition metals have variable valency due to d-orbitals. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: d-āĻāϞā§āĻā§āĻā§ā§°āύ⧰ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§āĨ¤
10. Which process is used for chromium plating?
Q: Chromium plating is done by — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŋāĻšā§ā§°ā§ āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Distillation (b) Electrolysis (c) Filtration (d) Sublimation
Ans: (b) Electrolysis
Explanation: Electroplating uses electrolysis. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝā§ā§ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°ā§ āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
One-Line Exam Trick
- “Chromium = CrâOâ protection + stainless steel + electroplating”
- “āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ = āĻ āĻā§āϏāĻžāĻāĻĄ āϏā§āϤ⧰ + āϏā§āĻā§āĻāύāϞā§āϏ āϏā§āĻāĻŋāϞ + āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻ”
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1. What is the atomic number of Chromium ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻĒāĻžā§°āĻŽāĻžāĻŖā§ąāĻŋāĻ āϏāĻāĻā§āϝāĻž — ?
(a) 22 (b) 23 (c) 24 (d) 25
Ans: (c) 24
Explanation: Chromium has 24 protons in its nucleus. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āύāĻŋāĻāĻā§āϞāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻāϤ ⧍ā§ĒāĻāĻž āĻĒā§ā§°’āĻāύ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
2. Chromium belongs to which group of elements ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻŋ āϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āĻāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻžāύ — ?
(a) Alkali metal (b) Transition metal (c) Non-metal (d) Noble gas
Ans: (b) Transition metal
Explanation: Chromium is a transition metal in the periodic table. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻāĻž āĻā§āϰāĻžāύāĻāĻŋāĻļāύ āϧāĻžāϤā§āĨ¤
3. Chromium is mainly used for — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻŽā§āϞāϤ āĻ’āϤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Fuel (b) Plating (c) Fertilizer (d) Plastic
Ans: (b) Plating
Explanation: It is widely used in chrome plating. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻ āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻāϤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤
4. Why is chromium added to steel ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻāϏā§āĻĒāĻžāϤāϤ āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āϝā§āĻ āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Reduce weight (b) Increase rust resistance (c) Make soft (d) Change color
Ans: (b) Increase rust resistance
Explanation: Chromium prevents corrosion. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāĻāĻž āĻĒā§°āĻž ā§°ā§āϧ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
5. Stainless steel contains chromium because — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āϏā§āĻā§āĻāύāϞā§āϏ āϏā§āĻāĻŋāϞ⧠āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Cheap (b) Decorative (c) Corrosion resistant (d) Heavy
Ans: (c) Corrosion resistant
Explanation: Chromium makes steel rust-resistant. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāϏā§āĻĒāĻžāϤāĻ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāĻāĻž āĻĒā§°āĻž ā§°ā§āϧ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
6. Color of chromium metal — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° ā§°āĻ — ?
(a) Red (b) Blue (c) Silver-gray (d) Green
Ans: (c) Silver-gray
Explanation: Chromium is shiny and silver-gray. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻ ā§°ā§āĻĒāĻžāϞāĻŋ-āϧā§āϏ⧰āĨ¤
7. Chromium forms a protective layer of — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻā§āύ āϏā§āϤ⧰ āĻāĻ āύ āĻā§°ā§ — ?
(a) Carbon (b) Oxide (c) Hydrogen (d) Nitrogen
Ans: (b) Oxide
Explanation: Chromium oxide protects the surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻ
āĻā§āϏāĻžāĻāĻĄ āϏā§āϤ⧰⧠āϏā§ā§°āĻā§āώāĻž āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
8. Which property makes chromium useful in plating ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞā§āĻāĻŋāĻ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Softness (b) Shine and hardness (c) Low melting point (d) Weakness
Ans: (b) Shine and hardness
Explanation: It gives shiny and durable finish. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻāĻāĻāĻā§ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŽāĻāĻŦā§āϤ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
9. Chromium is found in which ore ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻā§āύ āĻāύāĻŋāĻā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒā§ā§ąāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Bauxite (b) Chromite (c) Hematite (d) Limestone
Ans: (b) Chromite
Explanation: Chromite is the main ore. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻžāĻāĻ āĻŽā§āĻā§āϝ āĻāύāĻŋāĻāĨ¤
10. Chromium is important because — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻā§āϰā§āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻā§ā§°ā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ — ?
(a) Makes metal weak (b) Prevents rust (c) Makes plastic (d) Produces gas
Ans: (b) Prevents rust
Explanation: It protects metals from corrosion. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž: āϧāĻžāϤā§āĻ āϏā§ā§°āĻā§āώāĻž āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤