Metals and Non-metals — Practice

Question 1

Name the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Mercury (Hg) is liquid at room temperature.

✦ Answer: Mercury.

Question 2

Which non-metal conducts electricity?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Graphite, an allotrope of carbon, conducts electricity.

✦ Answer: Graphite.

Question 3

Write the product when zinc reacts with dilute sulphuric acid.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Zn + H₂SO₄ → ZnSO₄ + H₂↑.

✦ Answer: zinc sulphate and hydrogen gas.

Question 4

Will iron displace copper from copper sulphate solution? Give the equation.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Iron is above copper in the reactivity series, so it displaces copper.

Step 2 — Fe + CuSO₄ → FeSO₄ + Cu (blue solution fades to green).

✦ Answer: Yes; Fe + CuSO₄ → FeSO₄ + Cu.

Question 5

Explain the formation of sodium chloride by electron transfer.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Na (2,8,1) loses 1 electron → Na⁺ (2,8); Cl (2,8,7) gains it → Cl⁻ (2,8,8).

Step 2 — Opposite charges attract, forming the ionic bond in NaCl.

✦ Answer: electron transfer from Na to Cl forms Na⁺ and Cl⁻, held by ionic bonding.

Question 6

What are amphoteric oxides? Give two examples.

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Oxides that react with both acids and bases to give salt and water.

Step 2 — Examples: Al₂O₃ and ZnO.

✦ Answer: amphoteric oxides react with acids and bases; e.g. Al₂O₃, ZnO.

Question 7

Describe how zinc is extracted from zinc blende (ZnS).

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Roast the sulphide ore in air: 2ZnS + 3O₂ → 2ZnO + 2SO₂.

Step 2 — Reduce the oxide with carbon: ZnO + C → Zn + CO.

Step 3 — Refine the metal by electrolytic refining.

✦ Answer: roasting → reduction with carbon → electrolytic refining.

Question 8

Why is sodium extracted by electrolysis and not by reduction with carbon?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Sodium is very high in the reactivity series (strong tendency to stay as ions).

Step 2 — Carbon cannot reduce such reactive metal oxides.

Step 3 — Hence electrolytic reduction of molten NaCl is used.

✦ Answer: it is too reactive for carbon reduction, so electrolysis is required.

Question 9

What is galvanisation? How does it prevent rusting even if the coating is scratched?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Galvanisation is coating iron with a layer of zinc.

Step 2 — Zinc is more reactive than iron, so it corrodes preferentially (sacrificial protection).

Step 3 — Even if scratched, zinc is oxidised first, protecting the iron.

✦ Answer: a sacrificial zinc coat that corrodes in place of iron.

Question 10

What is an alloy? Why is stainless steel preferred for cutlery?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of a metal with other metals/non-metals.

Step 2 — Stainless steel (Fe + Cr + Ni) resists rusting and is hard and shiny.

✦ Answer: an alloy is a metal mixture; stainless steel is used because it does not rust.

Practice — Metals and Non-metals

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