This chapter of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 3, Metals and Non-metals, helps us understand the distinct properties that make metals and non-metals behave differently - whether it's iron rusting when exposed to moisture, copper wires conducting electricity in our homes, or sulphur appearing dull and brittle. This chapter is part of the comprehensive NCERT Solutions Class 1o Science series, which covers all chapters in detail.
The chapter equips students with essential skills to identify metals and non-metals based on their physical and chemical properties, understand reactivity series, and learn how metals are extracted from their ores. Every solution has been designed keeping CBSE board exam patterns in mind, ensuring students develop both conceptual clarity and problem-solving confidence. By mastering this chapter, students build a strong foundation for understanding material science and chemistry topics in higher classes.
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 3 - All Exercise Questions
Q.
Which of the following pairs will give displacement reactions?
(a) NaCl solution and copper metal
(b) MgCl2 solution and aluminium metal
(c) FeSO4 solution and silver metal
(d) AgNO3 solution and copper metal.
Q.
Which of the following methods is suitable for preventing an iron frying pan from rusting?
(a) Applying grease
(b) Applying paint
(c) Applying a coating of zinc
(d) All of the above.
Q.
An element reacts with oxygen to give a compound with a high melting point. This compound is also soluble in water. The element is likely to be:
(a) calcium
(b) carbon
(c) silicon
(d) iron.
Q.
Food cans are coated with tin and not with zinc because
(a) Zinc is costlier than tin.
(b) Zinc has a higher melting point than tin.
(c) Zinc is more reactive than tin.
(d) Zinc is less reactive than tin.
Q.
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.
Q.
What are amphoteric oxides? Give two examples of amphoteric oxides.
Q.
Name two metals which will displace hydrogen from dilute acids, and two metals which will not.
Q.
In the electrolytic refining of a metal M, what would you take as the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte?
Q.
Pratyush took sulphur powder on a spatula and heated it. He collected the gas evolved by inverting a test tube over it, as shown in figure below.
(a) What will be the action of gas on:
(i) dry litmus paper?
(ii) moist litmus paper?
(b) Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction taking place.
Q.
State two ways to prevent the rusting of iron.
Q.
What type of oxides are formed when non-metals combine with oxygen?
Q.
Give reasons:
(a) Platinum, gold and silver are used to make jewellery.
(b) Sodium, potassium and lithium are stored under oil.
(c) Aluminium is a highly reactive metal, yet it is used to make utensils for cooking.
(d) Carbonate and sulphide ores are usually converted into oxides during the process of extraction.
Q.
You must have seen tarnished copper vessels being cleaned with lemon or tamarind juice. Explain why these sour substances are effective in cleaning the vessels.
Q.
Differentiate between metal and non-metal on the basis of their chemical properties.
Q.
A man went door to door posing as a goldsmith. He promised to bring back the glitter of old and dull gold ornaments. An unsuspecting lady gave a set of gold bangles to him which he dipped in a particular solution. The bangles sparkled like new but their weight was reduced drastically. The lady was upset but after a futile argument the man beat a hasty retreat. Can you play the detective to find out the nature of the solution he had used?
Q.
Give reasons why copper is used to make hot water tanks and not steel (an alloy of iron).
Class 10 Chapter 3 Science Questions & Answers –Metals and Non-metals
Q1. Which of the following pairs will give displacement reactions?
(a) NaCl solution and copper metal
(b) MgCl2 solution and aluminium metal
(c) FeSO4 solution and silver metal
(d) AgNO3 solution and copper metal.
Solution:
(d) AgNO3 solution and copper metal
Q2. Which of the following methods is suitable for preventing an iron frying pan from rusting?
(a) Applying grease
(b) Applying paint
(c) Applying a coating of zinc
(d) All of the above.
(c) Applying a coating of zinc
Q3. An element reacts with oxygen to give a compound with a high melting point. This compound is also soluble in water. The element is likely to be:
(a) calcium
(b) carbon
(c) silicon
Q4. Food cans are coated with tin and not with zinc because
(a) Zinc is costlier than tin.
(b) Zinc has a higher melting point than tin.
(c) Zinc is more reactive than tin.
(d) Zinc is less reactive than tin.
(c) Zinc is more reactive than tin which may react with food items and make it unfit for health.
Q5. 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.
Solution:
1. If a substance can be beaten into thin sheets with the help of a hammer then it is a metal, whereas if it gets broken into pieces then it is non-metal. We can use the battery, bulb, wires, and a switch to set up a circuit with the sample. If the sample conducts electricity and bulbs starts to glow, then it is a metal otherwise it is a non-metal.
2. When a substance fulfills both the criteria then it can be confirmed as a metal. We know that there are some exceptions also for example sodium is metal which is not malleable in fact it is brittle. Graphite, a non-metal (allotrope of carbon) is a good conductor of electricity. Hence, either of the tests cannot confirm a metal or non-metal; when the test is done in isolation.
Q6. What are amphoteric oxides? Give two examples of amphoteric oxides.
Solution:
Amphoteric oxides are the oxides, which react with both acids and bases to form salt and water. Examples: Zinc oxide (ZnO) and Aluminium oxide (Al2O3)
Q7. Name two metals which will displace hydrogen from dilute acids, and two metals which will not.
Solution:
Metals that are more reactive than hydrogen displace it from dilute acids. For example, sodium and potassium displace hydrogen from dilute acids. On the other hand less reactive metals like copper, silver do not displace hydrogen from dilute acids.
Q8. In the electrolytic refining of a metal M, what would you take as the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte?
Solution:
In the electrolytic refining of a metal M:
Anode is impure, thick block of metal M
Cathode is thin strip or wire of pure metal M
Electrolyte is salt solution of metal M to be refined
Q9. Pratyush took sulphur powder on a spatula and heated it. He collected the gas evolved by inverting a test tube over it, as shown in figure below.
(a) What will be the action of gas on:
(i) dry litmus paper?
(ii) moist litmus paper?
(b) Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction taking place.
Solution:
(a) When sulphur is burnt in air then sulphur dioxide gas is formed.
(i) Sulphur dioxide gas has no action on dry litmus paper.
(ii) Sulphur dioxide gas turns moist blue litmus paper red because sulphur dioxide reacts with moisture to form sulphurous acid.
(b) S(s)+O2(g)→sulphurdioxideSO2(g)
Q10. State two ways to prevent the rusting of iron.
Solution: The two ways by which rusting of iron can be prevented are:
1. By oiling, greasing or painting the surface becomes waterproof and the moisture and oxygen present in the air cannot come into direct contact with iron. Hence, rusting is prevented.
2. By Galvanization: In this method an iron article is coated with a layer of zinc metal, which prevents the iron from coming in contact with oxygen and moisture. Hence, rusting is prevented
Q11. What type of oxides are formed when non-metals combine with oxygen?
Solution: Non-metals combine with oxygen to form acidic oxides or neutral oxides. Examples of acidic oxides are SO2, CO2 etc. and examples of neutral oxides are NO, CO etc.
Q12. Give reasons:
(a) Platinum, gold and silver are used to make jewellery.
(b) Sodium, potassium and lithium are stored under oil.
(c) Aluminium is a highly reactive metal, yet it is used to make utensils for cooking.
(d) Carbonate and sulphide ores are usually converted into oxides during the process of extraction.
Solution:
1. Platinum, gold, and silver are used to make jewellery because they are very less reactive metals. Also they are lustrous and do not corrode easily.
2. Sodium, potassium, and lithium are very reactive metals. They react vigorously with air as well as water; therefore, they are kept immersed in kerosene oil in order to prevent their contact with air and moisture.
3. Aluminium is a highly reactive metal and is resistant to corrosion. This is because aluminium reacts with oxygen present in air to form a thin layer of aluminium oxide. This oxide layer is very stable and prevents further reaction of aluminium with oxygen. Also, it is light in weight and a good conductor of heat. Hence, it is used to make cooking utensils.
4. Carbonate and sulphide ores are usually converted into oxides during the process of extraction because it is easier to obtain metals from their oxides as compared to their carbonates and sulphides.
Q13. You must have seen tarnished copper vessels being cleaned with lemon or tamarind juice. Explain why these sour substances are effective in cleaning the vessels.
Solution:
Copper reacts with moist carbon dioxide in air to form copper carbonate and as a result, copper vessel loses its shiny brown surface forming a green layer of copper carbonate. The sour substances like lemon or tamarind contain citric acid that neutralises the basis copper carbonate and dissolves the layer. That is why; tarnished copper vessels are cleaned with lemon or tamarind juice to give the surface of the copper vessel its characteristic lustre
Q14. Differentiate between metal and non-metal on the basis of their chemical properties.
Solution:
| Metals |
Non-metals |
| Metals are electropositive. They lose electron readily to form a cation. |
Non metals are electronegative. They gain electron readily to form anion. |
| Metals are lustrous. |
Non-metals are non-lustrous except graphite. |
| Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity. |
Non-metals are non-conductors of heat and electricity except graphite. |
| Metals react with oxygen to form basic oxide.
4Na+O→2Na2O
These have ionic bond. |
Non-metals react with oxygen to form acidic or neutral oxide oxides.
|
Metals react with water to form oxides and hydroxides. Some metals react with cold water, some with hot water, and some with steam.
|
They do not react with water. |
Metals react with dilute acids to form a salt and evolve hydrogen gas. However, Cu, Ag, Au, Pt, Hg do not react.
2Na+2H2O→2NaOH+H2↑ |
Non-metals do not react with dilute acids. These are not capable of replacing hydrogen. |
| Metals act as reducing agents as they can easily lose electrons.
Na→Na++e− |
Non-metals act as oxidizing agents as they can gain electrons.
Cl2+2e−→2Cl− |
Q15. A man went door to door posing as a goldsmith. He promised to bring back the glitter of old and dull gold ornaments. An unsuspecting lady gave a set of gold bangles to him which he dipped in a particular solution. The bangles sparkled like new but their weight was reduced drastically. The lady was upset but after a futile argument the man beat a hasty retreat. Can you play the detective to find out the nature of the solution he had used?
Solution:
The solution he had used was Aqua regia which is the mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated nitric acid in the ratio of 3:1. It is a fuming, highly corrosive liquid that is capable of dissolving metals like Gold and Platinum. Since the outer layer of the gold bangles is dissolved in aqua regia so their weight was reduced drastically.
Q16. Give reasons why copper is used to make hot water tanks and not steel (an alloy of iron).
Solution:
Copper is used to make hot water tanks and not steel because copper does not react with cold water, hot water or steam. However, iron reacts with steam. If the hot water tanks are made of steel (an alloy of iron), then iron would react vigorously with the steam formed from hot water.
3Fe+4H2O→Fe3O4+4H2
That is why copper is used to make hot water tanks, and not steel.
More Resources of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 3 – FAQs
Q1. What are the physical and chemical properties that distinguish metals from non-metals?
Physical properties of metals include: lustrous (shiny) appearance, malleability (can be beaten into thin sheets), ductility (can be drawn into wires), high density, high melting and boiling points (except mercury), good conductors of heat and electricity, and they produce a ringing sound (sonorous). Non-metals generally lack luster (except iodine and graphite), are brittle (break easily when hammered), cannot be drawn into wires, have low density, low melting and boiling points (except diamond and graphite), and are poor conductors of heat and electricity (except graphite). Chemical properties: Metals lose electrons to form positive ions (cations), react with oxygen to form basic oxides, react with acids to produce hydrogen gas, and are good reducing agents. Non-metals gain electrons to form negative ions (anions), react with oxygen to form acidic or neutral oxides, do not react with dilute acids (except for some reactions), and are good oxidizing agents.
Q2. What is the reactivity series of metals and why is it important?
The reactivity series is an arrangement of metals in decreasing order of their reactivity. From most reactive to least reactive: Potassium (K) > Sodium (Na) > Calcium (Ca) > Magnesium (Mg) > Aluminum (Al) > Zinc (Zn) > Iron (Fe) > Lead (Pb) > Hydrogen (H) > Copper (Cu) > Mercury (Hg) > Silver (Ag) > Gold (Au) > Platinum (Pt). This series is important because it helps predict: whether a metal can displace another metal from its salt solution (a more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal); how metals react with water, acids, and oxygen (more reactive metals react vigorously); which metals need to be extracted from their ores using electrolysis versus heating with carbon; and which metals are found in free state in nature (least reactive like gold and platinum). For example, zinc can displace copper from copper sulfate solution because zinc is more reactive than copper.
Q3. How are metals extracted from their ores and what is the role of reduction?
Metals are extracted from their ores through metallurgical processes that vary depending on the metal's reactivity. Highly reactive metals (like sodium, calcium, aluminum) are extracted by electrolytic reduction, where electric current is passed through the molten ore to separate the metal. Moderately reactive metals (like zinc, iron, lead) are extracted by reduction with carbon or carbon monoxide. For example, zinc oxide is heated with carbon: ZnO + C → Zn + CO. Iron oxide is reduced in a blast furnace: Fe₂O₃ + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO₂. Less reactive metals (like mercury, copper) can be obtained by heating their ores alone as they are easily reduced. Reduction is the process of removing oxygen from metal oxides or adding electrons to metal ions, converting them to pure metals. After extraction, metals are refined to remove impurities. The choice of extraction method depends on the reactivity of the metal—the more reactive the metal, the more difficult and energy-intensive its extraction becomes.