Final answer:
The group number relates to the chemical reactivity and valence electrons of metalloids, while the period number correlates with the number of electron shells a metalloid has, which affects its properties like conductivity and malleability.
Step-by-step explanation:
Concerning metalloids, the group number and the period number on the periodic table relate to their properties and placement in different ways:
- The group number of a metalloid relates to its chemical reactivity and the number and type of electrons in its outermost shell, which directly influences its chemical properties. For instance, elements in group 16, which includes the metalloid tellurium, all have six electrons in their outermost shell.
- The period number of a metalloid indicates its placement in the periodic table in terms of periods (horizontal rows) and directly relates to the number of electron shells an element has. Therefore, the period number can indirectly affect the metallic properties of a metalloid because these properties such as conductivity and malleability depend on the ease of removing outer electrons, which is in turn affected by the atomic radius that increases with the number of electron shells.
Given these explanations, option (b) is the most accurate: 'The period number indicates the number of electrons in the outermost shell of metallouds.' However, to avoid confusion, it's essential to clarify that the period number actually signifies the number of electron shells that an element has, not just the number in the outermost shell