Question

in the table below, there are descriptions of an experiment on samples of three different chemical elements. decide whether the element is a metal or nonmetal, if you can. if there is not enough information to decide, choose cant decide in the third column.
element description metal or nonmetal?
1 element 1 is a hard silvery - gray solid. a 10. g cube of it is set on a hot plate. after 10 minutes, the temperature of the top of the cube has risen by less than 1 °c. metal nonmetal (cant decide)
2 element 2 is a shiny silvery - gray solid. a 5 cm×5 cm square of it, only 1 mm thick, is flexed slightly by hand, putting a slight bend in the middle of the square. metal nonmetal (cant decide)
3 element 3 is a moderately soft silvery - gray solid. a small 2 cm×2 cm×2 cm cube of it is put into a hydraulic press and squeezed until it is half as thick. when the sample is inspected, it has broken into many smaller pieces. where the sample broke, the fresh surfaces are lighter in color. metal nonmetal (cant decide)

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze Element 1

Metals are good conductors of heat. Element 1 has a low - temperature rise when placed on a hot plate, which is not a typical metallic property. However, it is a hard, silvery - gray solid. But the heat - conductivity evidence leans towards nonmetal. So, can't decide.

Step2: Analyze Element 2

Metals are malleable and have a shiny luster. Element 2 is shiny and can be flexed slightly (showing some malleability), so it is a metal.

Step3: Analyze Element 3

Metals are malleable. Element 3 breaks into smaller pieces when squeezed in a hydraulic press, which shows brittleness, a non - metallic property. So, nonmetal.

Answer:

1. (can't decide)
2. metal
3. nonmetal