Element - 24 : Chromium (Cr) : āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ (Cr) – Used in stainless steel, car parts.


Basic Information | āĻŽā§ŒāϞāĻŋāĻ• āϤāĻĨā§āϝ



  • Name: Chromium : āύāĻžāĻŽ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ

  • Symbol: Cr : āϚāĻŋāĻšā§āύ: Cr

  • Atomic Number: 24 : āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŽāĻžāĻŖāĻŦāĻŋāĻ• āϏāĻ‚āĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: ⧍ā§Ē

  • Nature: Metal (Transition Metal) : āĻĒā§āϰāĻ•ā§ƒāϤāĻŋ: āϧāĻžāϤ⧁ (āĻŸā§āϰāĻžāύāϜāĻŋāĻļāύ āϧāĻžāϤ⧁)


Key Properties | āĻĒā§āϰāϧāĻžāύ āĻŦ⧈āĻļāĻŋāĻˇā§āĻŸā§āϝ



  • Hard and shiny metal : āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤ āĻ“ āϚāĻ•āϚāϕ⧇ āϧāĻžāϤ⧁

  • Silver-gray color : āϰ⧂āĻĒāĻžāϞāĻŋ-āϧ⧂āϏāϰ āϰāĻ‚

  • Highly resistant to corrosion : āĻŽāϰāĻŋāϚāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϰ⧋āϧ⧀

  • Forms protective oxide layer : āϏ⧁āϰāĻ•ā§āώāĻžāĻŽā§‚āϞāĻ• āĻ¸ā§āϤāϰ āϤ⧈āϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰ⧇      

  • Used in electroplating : āχāϞ⧇āĻ•ā§āĻŸā§āϰ⧋āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§ƒāϤ


Structure | āĻ—āĻ āύ



  • 24 protons, 24 electrons : ⧍ā§ĒāϟāĻŋ āĻĒā§āϰ⧋āϟāύ, ⧍ā§ĒāϟāĻŋ āχāϞ⧇āĻ•āĻŸā§āϰāύ

  • Simple atomic structure : āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŽāĻžāĻŖāĻŦāĻŋāĻ• āĻ—āĻ āύ


Where is Chromium Found ? | āϕ⧋āĻĨāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻĒāĻžāĻ“āϝāĻŧāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ ?



  • In minerals like chromite : āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻžāχāϟ āĻ–āύāĻŋāĻœā§‡

  • In Earth’s crust : āĻĒ⧃āĻĨāĻŋāĻŦā§€āϰ āĻ­ā§‚āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāϕ⧇


Why is Chromium Important ?


āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§‡āϰ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦ


Uses in Daily Life | āĻĻ⧈āύāĻ¨ā§āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ



  • Used in chrome plating : āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻšāϝāĻŧ

  • Used in stainless steel : āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āχāύāϞ⧇āϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻšāϝāĻŧ

  • Used in metal alloys : āϧāĻžāϤāĻŦ āϏāĻ‚āĻ•āϰ āϤ⧈āϰāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§ƒāϤ


Advantages | āϏ⧁āĻŦāĻŋāϧāĻž



  • Prevents rust : āĻŽāϰāĻŋāϚāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϰ⧋āϧ āĻ•āϰ⧇

  • Gives shiny finish : āϚāĻ•āϚāϕ⧇ āϰāĻ‚ āĻĻ⧇āϝāĻŧ

  • Increases strength of metal : āϧāĻžāϤ⧁āϕ⧇ āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤ āĻ•āϰ⧇


Fun Fact | āĻŽāϜāĻžāϰ āϤāĻĨā§āϝ



  • Chromium is a key element in stainless steel : āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āχāύāϞ⧇āϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻŋāϞ āϤ⧈āϰāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āϗ⧁āϰ⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§āĻŖ


One-Line Revision | āĻāĻ• āϞāĻžāχāύ⧇ āĻŽāύ⧇ āϰāĻžāĻ–ā§‹



  • Chromium is a shiny metal used to prevent rust and make stainless steel.

  • āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āϚāĻ•āϚāϕ⧇ āϧāĻžāϤ⧁ āϝāĻž āĻŽāϰāĻŋāϚāĻž āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāϰ⧋āϧ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āχāύāϞ⧇āϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻŋāϞ āϤ⧈āϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšā§ƒāϤ 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: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāϚāĻž āύāϧ⧰āĻž āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇ — ?
(a) Cr₂O₃ (b) CO₂ (c) CrO (d) Cr₂O₇
Ans: (a) Cr₂O₃
Explanation: Chromium forms a thin layer of chromium oxide (Cr₂O₃) which protects it from corrosion. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: Cr₂O₃ āĻ¸ā§āϤ⧰⧇ āϧāĻžāϤ⧁āĻŸā§‹āĻ• āϏ⧁⧰āĻ•ā§āώāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĨ¤


2. Stainless steel contains chromium in the range of — ?


Q: Chromium percentage in stainless steel — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āχāύāϞ⧇āϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻļāϤāĻžāĻ‚āĻļ — ?
(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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻāχ āĻĒā§°āĻŋāĻŽāĻžāϪ⧇ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāϚāĻž 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: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ 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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āϚāĻ•āϚāϕ⧇ āφ⧰⧁ āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤ āĻ¸ā§āϤ⧰ āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĨ¤


4. Chromite ore mainly contains — ?


Q: Composition of chromite — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻžāχāϟ āĻ–āύāĻŋāϜāϤ āĻ•āĻŋ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇ — ?
(a) Fe₂O₃ (b) FeCr₂O₄ (c) CrO₃ (d) FeO
Ans: (b) FeCr₂O₄
Explanation: Chromite is iron chromium oxide. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: FeCr₂O₄ āĻšā§ˆāϛ⧇ āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻžāχāϟāĨ¤


5. Which oxidation state of chromium is most stable?


Q: Most stable oxidation state of chromium — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āφāϟāĻžāχāϤāĻ•ā§ˆ āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŋāĻļā§€āϞ āĻ…ā§ąāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻž — ?
(a) +2 (b) +3 (c) +6 (d) 0
Ans: (b) +3
Explanation: Cr³âē is most stable due to half-filled t₂g orbitals. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: +3 āĻ…ā§ąāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŋāĻļā§€āϞāĨ¤


6. Chromium compounds are often colored due to — ?


Q: Color of chromium compounds is due to — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āϝ⧌āĻ— ā§°āϙ⧀āύ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ — ?
(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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: d-āχāϞ⧇āĻ•ā§āĻŸā§ā§°āύ⧰ āĻ•āĻžā§°āϪ⧇ ā§°āĻ‚ āĻĻ⧇āĻ–āĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


7. Which chromium compound is used as an oxidizing agent?


Q: Strong oxidizing agent of chromium — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻļāĻžāϞ⧀ āĻ…āĻ•ā§āϏāĻŋāĻĄāĻžāχāϜāĻŋāĻ‚ āĻĒāĻĻāĻžā§°ā§āĻĨ — ?
(a) CrCl₃ (b) K₂Cr₂O₇ (c) CrO (d) Cr₂O₃
Ans: (b) K₂Cr₂O₇
Explanation: Potassium dichromate is a strong oxidizing agent. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āχ āĻļāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻļāĻžāϞ⧀ āĻ…āĻ•ā§āϏāĻŋāĻĄāĻžāχāϜāĻžā§°āĨ¤


8. Which alloy contains chromium and nickel?


Q: Alloy containing Cr and Ni — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: Cr āφ⧰⧁ Ni āĻĨāĻ•āĻž āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧰ — ?
(a) Brass (b) Bronze (c) Stainless steel (d) Solder
Ans: (c) Stainless steel
Explanation: Stainless steel contains chromium and nickel. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻāχ āϏāĻ‚āϕ⧰āϤ āĻĻ⧁āϝāĻŧā§‹ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇āĨ¤


9. Chromium shows variable valency because — ?


Q: Chromium shows variable valency due to — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻ­āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āύ āĻŽāĻžāύ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇ — ?
(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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: d-āχāϞ⧇āĻ•ā§āĻŸā§ā§°āύ⧰ āĻŦāĻžāĻŦ⧇āĨ¤


10. Which process is used for chromium plating?


Q: Chromium plating is done by — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚ āĻ•āĻŋāĻšā§‡ā§°ā§‡ āϕ⧰āĻž āĻšāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Distillation (b) Electrolysis (c) Filtration (d) Sublimation
Ans: (b) Electrolysis
Explanation: Electroplating uses electrolysis. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āĻ¯ā§ā§Ž āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§°ā§‡ āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚ āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


One-Line Exam Trick



  • “Chromium = Cr₂O₃ protection + stainless steel + electroplating”

  • “āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ = āĻ…āĻ•ā§āϏāĻžāχāĻĄ āĻ¸ā§āϤ⧰ + āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āχāύāϞ⧇āϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻŋāϞ + āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚”


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1. What is the atomic number of Chromium ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āĻĒāĻžā§°āĻŽāĻžāĻŖā§ąāĻŋāĻ• āϏāĻ‚āĻ–ā§āϝāĻž — ?
(a) 22 (b) 23 (c) 24 (d) 25
Ans: (c) 24
Explanation: Chromium has 24 protons in its nucleus. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° āύāĻŋāωāĻ•ā§āϞāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻ›āϤ ⧍ā§ĒāϟāĻž āĻĒā§ā§°’āϟāύ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇āĨ¤


2. Chromium belongs to which group of elements ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻ•āĻŋ āϧ⧰āĻŖā§° āωāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāĻžāύ — ?
(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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻāϟāĻž āĻŸā§āϰāĻžāύāϜāĻŋāĻļāύ āϧāĻžāϤ⧁āĨ¤


3. Chromium is mainly used for — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āχ āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚āϤ āĻŦā§āĻ¯ā§ąāĻšāĻžā§° āĻšāϝāĻŧāĨ¤


4. Why is chromium added to steel ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āχāĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻžāϤāϤ āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āϝ⧋āĻ— āϕ⧰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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āχ āĻŽā§°āĻŋāϚāĻž āĻĒā§°āĻž ā§°ā§‹āϧ āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤


5. Stainless steel contains chromium because — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ¸ā§āĻŸā§‡āχāύāϞ⧇āϏ āĻ¸ā§āϟāĻŋāϞ⧇ āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻĨāĻžāϕ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Cheap (b) Decorative (c) Corrosion resistant (d) Heavy
Ans: (c) Corrosion resistant
Explanation: Chromium makes steel rust-resistant. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āχāĻ¸ā§āĻĒāĻžāϤāĻ• āĻŽā§°āĻŋāϚāĻž āĻĒā§°āĻž ā§°ā§‹āϧ āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤


6. Color of chromium metal — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽā§° ā§°āĻ‚ — ?
(a) Red (b) Blue (c) Silver-gray (d) Green
Ans: (c) Silver-gray
Explanation: Chromium is shiny and silver-gray. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āχ ā§°ā§‚āĻĒāĻžāϞāĻŋ-āϧ⧂āϏ⧰āĨ¤


7. Chromium forms a protective layer of — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āϕ⧋āύ āĻ¸ā§āϤ⧰ āĻ—āĻ āύ āϕ⧰⧇ — ?
(a) Carbon (b) Oxide (c) Hydrogen (d) Nitrogen
Ans: (b) Oxide
Explanation: Chromium oxide protects the surface. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ…āĻ•ā§āϏāĻžāχāĻĄ āĻ¸ā§āϤ⧰⧇ āϏ⧁⧰āĻ•ā§āώāĻž āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤


8. Which property makes chromium useful in plating ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽ āĻĒā§āϞ⧇āϟāĻŋāĻ‚ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ 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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āϚāĻ•āϚāϕ⧇ āφ⧰⧁ āĻŽāϜāĻŦ⧁āϤ āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤


9. Chromium is found in which ore ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āϕ⧋āύ āĻ–āύāĻŋāϜ⧰ āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒā§‹ā§ąāĻž āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ — ?
(a) Bauxite (b) Chromite (c) Hematite (d) Limestone
Ans: (b) Chromite
Explanation: Chromite is the main ore. āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻžāχāϟ āĻŽā§āĻ–ā§āϝ āĻ–āύāĻŋāϜāĨ¤


10. Chromium is important because — ? āĻĒā§ā§°āĻļā§āύ: āĻ•ā§āϰ⧋āĻŽāĻŋāϝāĻŧāĻžāĻŽ āĻ•āĻŋāϝāĻŧ āϗ⧁⧰⧁āĻ¤ā§āĻŦāĻĒā§‚āĻ°ā§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§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž: āϧāĻžāϤ⧁āĻ• āϏ⧁⧰āĻ•ā§āώāĻž āϕ⧰⧇āĨ¤