Lesson 11 of 18
Between a metal and a non-metal
Show on a big screenPhones and computers have chips made from silicon. Is silicon a metal?
Step 1 of 4
- Three elements, three tests: shine, a hit, and electricity.
- Copper has a metal shine and flattens. It carries electricity well. A metal.
- Sulfur has no metal shine and breaks into bits. It carries none. A non-metal.
- Silicon has a metal shine, yet it breaks. It carries electricity poorly. In between.
No. Silicon sits between metals and non-metals.
Silicon and boron are two metalloids. Germanium is a third. Chemists put them between metals and non-metals. Scientists do not agree on one full list.
The rule
A metalloid is an element that sits between metals and non-metals. Silicon is shiny, like a metal. It breaks into bits, like sulfur. It carries electricity, but poorly.
A teacher runs these tests. Do not hit or test unknown solids yourself.
Test three samples. Tap the kind of each one.
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Try the lab to finish this lesson.