You are given a hammer, a battery, a bulb, wires and a switch.
(a) How could you use them to distinguish between samples of metals and non-metals?
(b) Assess the usefulness of these tests in distinguishing between metals and non – metals.

Explanation

(a) (i) Try to beat the given samples with the help of a hammer. The sample which can be easily coverted into flat sheets is malleable and represents metal. The sample which breaks is brittle and is a non-metal.
(ii) Construct an electical circuit with the help of bulb, wires and a switch as shown in the Fig 3.3. Now, place the two samples one by one in the circuit. Switch on the battery. The sample which allows the bulb to glow is of a metal while the one which does not, represents a non-metal.
From these tests, we may conclude that
• Metals are malleable while non-metals are not.
• Metals are good conductors of electricity while non-meals are not (graphite is an exception).