Questions: Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids

Question 1

Which property is most characteristic of metals?

• A. They are brittle
• B. They are poor conductors of heat
• C. They conduct electricity well
• D. They are always gases at room temperature

Answer: (C)

Metals are excellent conductors of electricity and heat. This is one of their defining characteristics, caused by the way metal atoms share electrons. Metals are generally not brittle (they are malleable), and most are solids at room temperature.

Question 2

Metalloids are found along the staircase-shaped boundary between metals and nonmetals on the periodic table.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

The periodic table has a zigzag line (often called a staircase) running diagonally from boron to astatine. Elements along this boundary — such as boron, silicon, germanium, and arsenic — are metalloids. They have intermediate properties between metals and nonmetals.

Question 3

Why is silicon, a metalloid, used in computer chips?

Model answer: Silicon is a semiconductor, meaning its ability to conduct electricity can be precisely controlled, which is essential for electronic circuits.

Metalloids like silicon do not conduct electricity as well as metals, but they conduct better than nonmetals. This intermediate conductivity can be fine-tuned by adding tiny amounts of other elements (a process called doping), making semiconductors ideal for building the transistors and circuits inside computer chips.