Metals and Non-metals

1. What happens when metals and non- metals react with oxygen? Write the
nature of metallic and non-metallic oxides.
Ans: Metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides and non-metals form
non-metal oxides. Metal oxides are basic in nature while non-metal oxides
are acidic. This can be tested using red and blue litmus papers.
2. Is it advisable to store pickles and curd in metallic utensils?
Ans: No, it is not advisable to store pickle and curd in metallic utensils
because metals readily react with acids to produce hydrogen. Pickle and
curd contain organic acids such as acetic acid (vinegar) and lactic acid,
which would react to give hydrogen.
3. Give reasons for the following.
(a) Copper cannot displace zinc from its salt solution.
(b) Sodium and potassium are stored in kerosene.
(c) An iron knife kept dipped in blue copper sulphate solution changes to
pale green.
Ans:
(a) Copper is less reactive than zinc. It is placed below zinc in the
reactivity series. So it cannot displace zinc from its solution.

(b) Sodium and potassium are highly reactive metals. To avoid reaction
with air and water they are stored in kerosene.

(c) An iron knife kept dipped in blue copper sulphate solution changes to
pale green because iron replaces copper from copper sulphate and forms iron
sulphate. This happens because iron is more reactive than copper.
Fe + CuSO4 ——> FeSO4 + Cu
4. Gaurav knows that wires can be made from copper and aluminium. He
tries to make wire from sulphur and carbon. Will he succeed? Give reason.

Ans: No, he will not succeed because sulphur and carbon are non-metals.
Non-metals are not ductile, which means they cannot be drawn into wires.
5. Cooking utensils are made of metals but their handles are made of wood or
plastic. Why?
 Ans: Cooking utensils are made of metals as they are good conductors of
heat and is easy to cook food in it. But handles of cooking
utensils are made of wood or plastic as they are insulators of heat. So the
handle does not get heated while cooking.

HOTS
6. Suppose copper was high up in the reactivity series. Would it still have been
such a useful metal? Give reasons.
Ans:If copper was high up in the reactivity series, it would have been a
highly reactive metal. Further, it would be difficult to store it because highly
reactive metals react vigorously with air, water and acids. Such a reactive
metal cannot be used for preparing cooking vessels, electrical wires or all
other applications, where copper is generally used.
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