Question

What are the four groups into which all the elements are classified? Name two of each group.

Answer 1

Element: Any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary chemical processes.

• Elements are the fundamental materials of which all matter is composed.
• It is considered a pure substance.
• The element can be classified into four categories:

Metal – A substance that has a tendency to lose electrons and form a cation is considered a metal.

• They are lustrous, sonorous, malleable, ductile, and have High tensile strength.
• For examples — Copper ($\mathrm{Cu}$), Iron ($\mathrm{Fe}$), Nickel ($\mathrm{Ni}$), Aluminium ($\mathrm{Al}$), etc.

Non-metal — A substance that has a tendency to gain electrons and form anion is considered a Non-metal.

• They are non-lustrous, non-sonorous, non-malleable, non-ductile, and have low tensile strength.
• For examples — Fluorine ($\mathrm{F}$), Chlorine ($\mathrm{Cl}$), Nitrogen ($\mathrm{N}$), Sulphurn ($\mathrm{S}$), Carbon ($\mathrm{C}$), etc.

Metalloids — A substance that possesses both properties of metals and Non-metal to consider metalloid.

• For examples — Silicon ($\mathrm{Si}$), Germanium ($\mathrm{Ge}$), Arsenic ($\mathrm{As}$), Tellurium ($\mathrm{Te}$), etc.

Noble gases — A substance that has completed the octet rule consider a Noble gas.

• They possess a stable electronic configuration.
• For examples — Helium ($\mathrm{He}$), Neon ($\mathrm{Ne}$), Argon ($\mathrm{Ar}$), Krypton ($\mathrm{Kr}$), etc.

Hence the elements are classified as metals, nonmetals, metalloids, and noble gases.