Question

Which of the following statements is not true?

A) Metals are good conductors of electricity.
B) Nonmetals are typically malleable.
C) Noble gases are inert.
D) Metalloids exhibit properties of both metals and nonmetals.

Answer 1

The statement that is not true is B) Nonmetals are typically malleable. Nonmetals are in fact brittle when solid and do not exhibit malleability, which is a property of metals.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is not true is: Nonmetals are typically malleable. It's important to understand the properties of metals, nonmetals, and metalloids:

• Metals are shiny (lustrous), typically silvery in color, good conductors of electricity and heat, malleable (can be beaten into thin sheets), and ductile (can be drawn into thin wires).
• Nonmetals are usually dull, poor conductors of electricity and heat, and solid nonmetals are brittle, which means they will break into small pieces when hit with a hammer or pulled into a wire.
• Noble gases are inert, which means they don't readily undergo chemical reactions.
• Metalloids exhibit properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals. They may have a mix of metallic and nonmetallic properties.

Statement B) 'Nonmetals are typically malleable' is incorrect because nonmetals are brittle when solid and do not exhibit malleability which is a characteristic of metals.