Question

Which among the following is a nonferrous alloy?

• A. Brass
• B. Nickel steel
• C. Stainless steel
• D. Chromium steel

Hint:

A foolproof shortcut for alloy questions: Any option containing the word "steel" is automatically a ferrous alloy because steel is, by definition, an interstitial alloy of iron. This instantly eliminates options (B), (C), and (D), leaving Brass as the only logical answer.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Define the two alloy classes.
Ferrous alloys have iron as their main metal; non-ferrous alloys are built from other base metals such as copper, zinc, aluminium or tin.
Step 2: Examine brass.
Brass is mainly copper plus zinc, with no iron in its core formula, so it is a non-ferrous alloy.
Step 3: Examine nickel steel.
The word steel signals an iron base alloyed with nickel, so it is ferrous.
Step 4: Examine stainless steel.
Stainless steel is iron with chromium and nickel added, still iron-based, so it is ferrous.
Step 5: Examine chromium steel.
Again an iron base with chromium added, so it is ferrous.
Step 6: Conclude.
Three of the four are types of steel (iron-based), leaving brass as the only non-ferrous alloy.
\[ \boxed{\text{Brass, option (1)}} \]