Heather Cox, age 13, of Chattanooga, Tenn., for her question:

WHAT IS NICKEL SILVER?

Nickel silver is an alloy of copper, nickel and zinc. A common composition is 60 parts copper, 25 parts zinc and 15 parts nickel. The alloy is also called German silver because it was first made in the town of Hildburghausen, Germany.

Nickel silver is a yellowish metal that is harder than silver. It tarnishes easily but takes a good polish.

Much of the silverware used today is made of nickel silver plated with real silver. It looks like solid silver when new, but the plate wears off with use.

The amounts of copper, zinc and nickel are not always 60 25 15. Different proportions make the alloy better for some purposes.

When nickel silver is used to make casts and candlesticks, a little lead is added. Iron or steel makes the alloy harder, whiter and more brittle.