EasyChemistryHigh School (9–10)GeneralMixtures and Solutions › Elements, Compounds and ChangesConceptual
Four elements are tested. Element P is a shiny grey solid that rings when struck, and it can be…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Four elements are tested.
- Element P is a shiny grey solid that rings when struck, and it can be pulled into a wire.
- Element Q is a red-brown liquid that gives off a choking vapour.
- Element R is a black solid that breaks when hammered, yet it conducts electricity.
- Element S is a silvery liquid that conducts electricity.
Say whether each is a metal or a non-metal, and name a likely element.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
An element has one kind of atom and cannot be broken down by a chemical change. Metals shine, are malleable, ductile and sonorous, and conduct heat and electricity; non-metals mostly do not; metalloids lie between. Symbols have a capital first letter; some come from Latin names (Na, K, Fe, Cu, Ag, Au, Pb, Hg).
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) Shiny, sonorous and ductile: a metal, such as iron.
Step 2. (b) A red-brown liquid: the non-metal bromine.
Step 3. (c) Brittle but a conductor: graphite, a form of carbon, a non-metal that is the well-known exception.
Step 4. (d) A liquid that conducts: the metal mercury.
Answer: P metal (iron), Q non-metal (bromine), R non-metal (graphite), S metal (mercury).
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