Question

You are given a hammer, a battery, a bulb, wires and a switch.
(a) How could you use them to distinguish between samples of metals and non-metals?
(b) Assess the usefulness of these tests in distinguishing between metals and non-metals.​

Answer 1

Answer:

(a) If the substance can be hammered to convert into sheets then it is metal if it is broken into pieces then it is non-metal.

(b) Set up the circuit arrangement using bulb, battery, wire and switch. Place the object between the ends of circuit. If the bulb starts glowing then the substance is a metal otherwise it is non-metal because metals are good conductor of electricity.

Set up the circuit arrangement using bulb, battery, wire and switch. Place the object between the ends of circuit. If the bulb starts glowing then the substance is a metal otherwise it is non-metal because metals are good conductor of electricity.Generally above methods can be used to identify metals and non-metals. But there are some exceptions also for example sodium is metal which is not malleable in fact it is brittle. Graphite, allotrope of non-metal carbon, is a good conductor of electricity.