Students test properties of element samples in class and complete this accompanying Formative.
At each station, you will test a different property. Based on what you know about the properties of metals and nonmetals, classify the samples. More specific instructions will be included for each station.
Justify your answers to item 4. Why did you classify each element the way you did?
Gently tap each sample with a hammer. Observe how the sample responds. Categorize it as malleable or brittle.
Aluminum
Sulfur
Magnesium
Carbon
Zinc
Malleable
Brittle
Shine a flashlight on the sample and observe its ability to reflect light. Categorize is as having luster or not.
Aluminum
Sulfur
Magnesium
Carbon
Zinc
Luster
No Luster
Place a small piece of each sample into its own chem plate well. Add a pipette full of hydrochloric acid to the well and observe the reactivity of the sample. Categorize each sample by its reactivity.
Magnesium
Zinc
Aluminum
Carbon
Sulfur
High Reactivity
Moderate Reactivity
No Reactivity
Based on the malleability, luster, and reactivity that you observed at each lab station, categorize each element as a metal or nonmetal.
Aluminum
Sulfur
Carbon
Magnesium
Zinc
Metal
Nonmetal