Metals and Non-Metals 87

ACTIVITY ZONE
Check Yourself
ACTIVITY 1 (a) 1. What happens when we rub the surface of the metals with
(NCERT Pg 37, 38) sand paper?
Aim Ans Metals regain their original shine when rubbed with sand paper
(in most of the cases).
To study the following physical properties of metals
2. Name a metal which can be cut with a knife.
Ä Metallic lustre Ä Hardness
Ans Sodium metal is soft and can be easily cut with a knife.
Ä Malleability Ä Ductility
Ä Sonority 3. Aluminium is used for making cooking utensils.
Which properties of aluminium are responsible for the same?
Materials Required Ans Due to good thermal conductivity and high melting point,
Samples (ribbon/pieces/wires) of some metals like Fe, aluminium metal is used for making utensils.
Cu, Al, Mg, Pb, Zn, Na etc., sand paper, knife, filter 4. What is ductility?
paper and hammer. Ans The ability of metals to be drawn into thin wire is known as
ductility.
Procedure
1. Initially note the appearance, i.e. brightness of the 5. Name the property of metals of producing sound.
surface of each metal. Then, rub their surfaces with Ans The property of metals of producing sound is called sonority.
the sand paper and note the changes observed.
2. Take small pieces of Fe, Al and Mg. Try to cut them
with a knife to check their hardness. Then, take a
piece of sodium out of kerosene and dry it with a filter
ACTIVITY 1(b) (NCERT Pg 39)

paper. Then, try to cut it with a knife and note down

all observations. Aim
3. Take small blocks of Fe, Zn, Pb and Cu metals and To study the (i ) electrical conductivity (ii ) thermal
place Zn, Pb and Cu pieces over the block of iron conductivity in metals.
one by one and strike them with the help of a
hammer for 4-5 times. Observe and note the changes Materials Required
in the shape of these metals. Also note, if any sound is Wires of metals like Al, Cu etc., stand, burner, pin, wax, battery,
produced. metal wire or piece (to be tested), clips, switch and bulb.
4. Collect some metals which are available in the form Procedure
of wires. Note down the names of these metals.
1. Activity (i ) Take an aluminium or copper wire and
Observations and Conclusions arrange the electric circuit as shown in the diagram given
1. Metals have metallic lustre. If some layer of oxide below. Placed the metal wire in between the terminals of
covers the surface and hides its lustre then remove it A and B, record the observations, whether the bulb glows or
with sand paper to bring the original lustre back. not.
2. Iron, aluminium and magnesium metals are hard but Battery
their degree of hardness vary. Mg can also be cut with Bulb
knife but with some difficulty. Sodium metal is soft
and can be easily cut with knife. It shows that metals
are generally hard (except sodium or other alkali Switch
Clips
metals).
A B
3. Metals are sonorous, i.e. they produce sound when
struck with a hard object like hammer. Metals are Insert sample
also malleable as they can be converted into sheets to be tested
when hammered. Electrical circuit diagram to show metals
4. Metals are generally ductile. Most of the metals are are good conductors of electricit
available as wires like Cu, Al, Ag, Au, Pt, Fe etc.
 88

2. Activity (ii ) Take a stand and fix an

aluminium or copper wire to it with the help
of clamp. Fix a pin to the free end of the wire
ACTIVITY 2 (NCERT Pg 42, 43)

with the help of wax. Heat the wire near the Aim
place where it is clamped. To study
Record the changes.
(i) the physical properties of non-metals and compare them with
Metal wire
Stand
those of metals.
Clamp Free end of wire (ii) the chemical properties of metals and non-metals and compare
Wax them with each other.
Pin
Materials Required
Burner Iron, sodium, silver, coal or graphite (carbon), sulphur, iodine,
magnesium ribbon, water, dil. HCl, litmus (red and blue), burner, a
pair of tongs and test tubes.
Procedure
Experimental set up to show that metals are 1. Take coal/graphite (carbon), sulphur and iodine as the samples of
good conductors of heat non-metals. Examine them as described in Activity 1 (a) and 1 (b)
Note their physical properties and make a comparative chart of the
physical properties of metals and non-metals.
Observations and Conclusions 2. Take a magnesium ribbon and sulphur powder.
1. Activity (i ) When a metal wire is placed ( i ) First hold the magnesium ribbon with a pair of tongs over
between the terminals A and B, the bulb will flame and let it burn. Collect the ashes formed and dissolve them
glow. It shows that the metals are good in water.
conductors of electricity. Test this solution with litmus and note the observations.
2. Activity (ii ) The wax melts and pin falls ( ii ) Take some sulphur powder in a dry test tube and heat it over
down but metal does not melt (except tin). It flame. Collect the fumes produced in another test tube by
shows that given metals are good conductors inverting the test tube over the fumes. Then, add some water to the
of heat. Metals also have high melting points test tube with fumes and shake it. Test this solution with litmus and
in most of the cases (as metal wires does not note the observations.
melt on heating). 3. Take some samples of metals like Na, Fe, Ag and non-metals like
sulphur, iodine, graphite (C) and put small pieces of these samples
in beaker half filled with cold water and observe reactivity of each.
Check Yourself Put the unreacted samples in beaker half filled with cold water and
observe. Again, put still unreacted samples in the apparatus for
1. When the copper wire is placed between the studying their reaction with steam.
terminals A and B in the given activity (i), the
bulb glows. Which property of metals are
shown by this?
Metal sample
Ans This suggests that metals like Cu are good Hydrogen
conductor of electricity. Glass wool
soaked in Cork
2. Name the metal which is the best conductor of water
Water
electricity.
Burner Stand Delivery
Ans Silver (Ag) is the best conductor of electricity. tube
3. What is thermal conductivity?
Ans It is the property due to which metals can conduct
heat. Diagram of apparatus to study action of
e.g. Cu, Al, Fe etc., are good conductors of heat. steam on a metal
4. Aluminium metal does not melt in the given
activity (ii). Why?
Note In the same way, perform the experiments with water, dilute acids and
Ans Aluminium metal has high melting point, that’s other salt solutions. Record the results in the table.
why, it does not melt in the given activity.
4. Take all the samples given in point 3 except sodium (Na) and clean
5. Name the metals which have low melting point. them with sand paper (if tarnished) and put them one by one
Ans Gallium and caesium metals have low melting separately in test tubes containing dilute hydrochloric acid.
points. Suspend thermometers in the test tubes, so that their bulbs are
dipped in the acid.
 Metals and Non-Metals 89

Observations
1. Physical properties of metals and non-metals
Element Lustre Hardness Malleability Ductility Conductivity Sonority
Carbon Diamond has lustre Diamond is hard No Diamond is ductile Poor No
(Diamond/graphite)
Sulphur No Soft No No Poor No
Iodine Yes Soft No No Poor No
Sodium Yes Soft Yes Yes Good Yes
Iron Yes Hard Yes Yes Good Yes
Silver Yes Hard Yes Yes Good Yes
2. Chemical properties of metals and non-metals.

M + O2 → MOX M + H2O → M(OH)X + H2 M + HA → MA + H2

Element Reaction with oxygen Reaction with water Reaction with dilute acids

C Reacts on heating No reaction to give H2 No reaction to give H2

S Reacts on heating No reaction to give H2 No reaction to give H2
I Reacts on heating No reaction to give H2 No reaction to give H2
Na Vigorous at room temperature Vigorous at room temperature Reacts to give H2
Fe Vigorous for Fe filings Reacts with steam Reacts to give H2
Ag No reaction, even at high temperature. No reaction No reaction

Conclusions
1. Most non-metals do not have lustre. Most of Check Yourself
non-metals are soft (if solid) except 1. Generally non-metals are non-lustrous. Which non-metal have lustrous
diamond (hardest known substance) and appearance?
brittle.
Ans Iodine is a non-metal having lustrous appearance.
2. Non-metals are neither malleable nor
ductile. If sulphur is hammered, it breaks 2. Name the non-metal which is in liquid state at room temperature.
into pieces. Diamond is ductile (Q hard). Ans Bromine (Br2) is found in the liquid state at room temperature.
3. Non-metals are non-sonorous, poor 3. Write the nature of oxides of metals and non-metals.
conductors of heat and electricity, have low
Ans Most of the metallic oxides are basic in nature and non-metallic oxides are
melting and boiling points. But solid acidic in nature.
non-metals have comparatively high
boiling points. 4. Name the non-metal which is very hard.
4. Metals form basic oxides (turns red litmus Ans Diamond, the allotropic form of carbon, which is very hard.
blue) and non-metals form acidic oxides 5. What happens when metals react with dilute acids?
(turns blue litmus red) on burning in air. Ans Active metals evolve hydrogen gas on reaction with dil. HCl or dil.H2 SO4 .
5. Metals release H 2 when reacts with water
whereas non-metals do not react with water
to release hydrogen. Similarly, when metals
react with dilute acids, they again release ACTIVITY 3 (NCERT Pg 48)
hydrogen gas whereas non-metals do not
release hydrogen on reaction with dilute Aim
acids. This is due to the fact that non-metals To study the properties of ionic compounds.
are electron acceptors and cannot give
electrons to hydrogen ions to from H 2 gas Materials Required
(whereas metals are electron donors). Sodium chloride, potassium chloride, burner, spatula, beaker,
electrodes, battery, bulb, switch, test tubes, water, petrol etc.
 90

Procedure
1. Take the samples of some salts like sodium chloride, potassium chloride etc.
2. Examine the physical state of these salts.
3. Take a small amount of a sample on spatula and heat it over the flame.
Repeat the process with the other sample too.
Spatula containing
sample

Burner

Heating a salt sample on a spatula

4. Try to dissolve these samples in water and petrol in separate test tubes. Note their solubility.
5. Make a circuit as shown in the figure and insert the electrodes in the solution of one salt. Note if the bulb glows. Repeat the
process with other salt solution too.
Battery Bulb
(–) (+) Switch

Beaker
Graphite rod
Salt solution
under test

Testing the conductivity of a salt solution

Observations
1. Physical state of ionic compounds is solid.
2. These are water soluble and insoluble in petrol.
3. These have high melting point.
4. These are good conductors of electricity in aqueous solution.

Check Yourself
1. Why does sodium chloride conduct electricity in aqueous solution but not in solid state?
Ans Sodium chloride conducts electricity in molten state because of the presence of free ions in the solution while in solid state, there are
no free ions.
2. Melting points of ionic compounds are ............... (high/low).
Ans Melting points of ionic compounds are high.
3. Dissolve the sample of sodium chloride in water and petrol in separate test tubes. In which test tube, sodium chloride is soluble?
Ans Sodium chloride is soluble in water and insoluble in petrol.
4. What is the physical state of ionic compounds?
Ans Ionic compounds are crystalline solids.
5. Take the sugar solution in water and test the conductivity, will the bulb glow?
Ans No, the bulb will not glow. Sugar solution is not an ionic compound because it does not give free ions in the solution. Hence, there will be
no electrical conductivity.