Question

You are given a hammer, a battery, a bulb, wires and a switch. How could you use them to distinguish between samples of metals and non-metals?

• A. Using physical properties of metals and non-metals.
• B. Using hammer only.
• C. Using bulb only.
• D. Using both bulb and hammer.

Answer 1

The correct option is A

Using physical properties of metals and non-metals.

We can distinguish between the physical properties of metals and non-metals. We can use a hammer to beat the sample of metals and non-metals. After beating, metal changes into a thin sheet (due to malleability) and at the time of strike sound is also produced (due to sonority). But non-metals are broken into small pieces due to brittle nature and do not produce sound. A battery, a bulb, wires and a switch is used to set up an electrical circuit and then test the samples of metals and non-metals in this circuit. We will find that metals are a good conductor of electricity and non-metals are a bad conductor of electricity.