Final answer:
The bright yellow nonmetal with a bad smell is sulfur, known for its lemon-yellow color and distinctive rotten egg odor from compounds such as hydrogen sulfide.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bright yellow nonmetal often associated with a bad smell is sulfur. In its elemental form, sulfur is a lemon-yellow crystalline solid. When burned, it emits a distinctive smell, often described as the smell of rotten eggs due to the production of sulfur compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide (H2S). The references to a yellow smell and the deep-seated aversion to the color in the provided text evoke the negative reactions people historically had to the offensive odors of sulfur compounds.
Sulfur is commonly found in volcanic areas and hot springs and is used in a variety of industrial processes. While elemental sulfur does not emit a foul smell, its compounds are known for their strong and unpleasant odors, particularly hydrogen sulfide and other sulfur-containing compounds.