NCERT Solutions For Class 10 Science Chapter 3 "Metals and Non-Metals"

The class 10 Science NCERT textbook chapter 3 Metals and Non-Metals plays an important role in the Science class 10 curriculum as it forms the foundation of certain topics which students are going to study in the future. We use different elements in our day-to-day life from small table spoons to large Rockets and all of them are made up of elements that are very important for making our lives easy and comfortable, all these elements are divided into two categories i.e. Metals and Non- Metals.

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Suggested: NCERT Class 10 Science: Chapterwise Important Formulas, Diagrams, and Points

This Story also Contains

1. Class 10 Science Chapter 3 Question Answers
2. NCERT Science Chapter 3 (Exercise Questions)
3. Class 10 Chapter 3 Science Important Reactions and Diagrams
4. How to solve NCERT Class 10 Science Chapter 3 questions effectively?
5. Types of Questions asked from the Metals and Non-Metals Class 10 NCERT Solutions
6. Metals and Non-Metals Class 10 NCERT Solutions - Weightage in Board Exams
7. NCERT Solutions for Class 10th Science - Chapter-wise

The elements are classified as metals and non-metals based on their properties. So, in this chapter, we are going to study Metal, Non- metals, and their properties which will help us to understand why some metals are hard and others are soft. We are also going to study about reactivity of elements to the environment which helps us to understand why iron rusts and other metals remain rust-free.

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science not just only helps students to score well in their CBSE board and other state board exams but also in competitive exams like JEE, NEET, KVPY, and NTSE. It will help students to clear doubts that arise during solving problems and create a clear overview of the concept used to solve questions. The solutions provided in this article are based on the Class 10 CBSE Science syllabus.

Metals and Non-Metals class 10:

All the NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science are updated chapter-wise following the latest CBSE class 10 syllabus and the guidelines provided. The language that is used to answer the questions is simple and can be easily understood by any student. The solutions provided below help students score the maximum possible marks in their exams because of their conciseness and relevancy in content. Students can refer to the Class 10 Science Chapter-3 notes given below if they are looking for NCERT Solutions for Class 10 Science Chapter 3 ‘Metals and Non-metals’ solutions. All the important questions from Metals and Non-metals are included in this article which helps students perform well in class 10 science exam. To know more about this chapter students can scroll down the page.

Free download Class 10 Science Chapter 3 NCERT Solutions PDF for the CBSE exam.

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Class 10 Science Chapter 3 Question Answers

Topic 3.1 - Physical Properties Page no- 40

Q.1. (i) Give an example of a metal which is a liquid at room temperature.

Answer: Generally, metals are solid at room temperature as they have a strong metallic bond that binds them close.

Q.1. (ii) Give an example of a metal which can be easily cut with a knife.

Answer: Metal is generally hard in nature due to its metallic bond between each other. But sodium is a metal which is so soft that it can even be cut with a knife.

Q.1. (iii) Give an example of a metal which is the best conductor of heat.

Answer: Most metals are a good conductor of heat and electricity but silver is considered the best conductor of heat and electricity among them (gold and copper are also very good conductors).

Q.1. (iv) Give an example of a metal which that poor conductor of heat.

Answer: Generally, metals are considered a good conductor of heat and electricity. But mercury and lead show slight exceptions as they are poor conductors of heat.

Q.2. Explain the meanings of malleable and ductile.

Answer: Malleable substances are substances that can be beaten in order to convert them into sheets. Generally, all metals are considered to be malleable in nature.

For example silver, iron, etc. Gold has the highest malleable property as one single gram of gold can be beaten into a sheet of 1 square meter.

Ductile substances are substances that can be drawn into wires. All metals like gold and copper are ductile in nature. Moreover, the wires for the transfer of electricity are made of copper.

Topic 3.2: Chemical properties of metals Page no- 46

Q.1. Why is sodium kept immersed in kerosene oil?

Answer: Sodium is a very reactive metal. It reacts rapidly with oxygen and thus cannot be kept in air as it will explode. So it is better to store it in a liquid.

Further, the density of sodium is less than that of water so it will float on the surface. So water is not a good solvent for the purpose. So sodium is kept in kerosene oil.

Q.2. (i) Write equations for the reactions of iron with steam

Answer: Iron reacts with steam and forms iron oxide. The reaction is shown below : $3{\mathrm{Fe}}_{(s)}+4{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{O}}_{(g)}⟶{\mathrm{Fe}}_3{\mathrm{O}}_{4(g)}+4{\mathrm{H}}_{2(g)}$

Q.2. (ii) Write equations for the reactions of calcium and potassium with water

Answer: Calcium and potassium react with water to give their respective hydroxides. The reactions are shown below :

$\mathrm{Ca}+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}⟶\mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH}{)}_2+{\mathrm{H}}_3+\text{ Heat }$

$2\mathrm{K}+2{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}⟶2\mathrm{KOH}+{\mathrm{H}}_2+\text{ Heat }$

Q.3. (i) Samples of four metals A, B, C and D were taken and added to the following solution one by one. The results obtained have been tabulated as follows.

Use the Table above to answer the following question about metals A, B, C and D.

(i) Which is the most reactive metal?

Answer: From the table, it can be seen that no metal is able to displace zinc from its solution, thus zinc is the most reactive among given metals. Further, only metal B is able to displace iron from the iron sulphate solution. And element A can displace copper. Similarly, element C can displace silver from its solution.

So the reactivity order obtained is : D < C < A < B

Hence B is most reactive.

Q.3. (ii) Samples of four metals A, B, C and D were taken and added to the following solution one by one. The results obtained have been tabulated as follows.

Use the Table above to answer the following questions about metals A, B, C and D.

(ii) What would you observe if B is added to a solution of Copper(II) sulfate?

Answer: As we have seen in part (a) that element A can displace copper from its solution. Also, B is more reactive than element A.

So element B will also displace copper from copper sulphate solution.

Question:

Q.3. (iii) Samples of four metals A, B, C, and D were taken and added to the following solution one by one. The results obtained have been tabulated as follows.

Use the table above to answer the following question about metals A, B, C, and D.

(iii) Arrange the metals A, B, C, and D in the order of decreasing reactivity.

Answer:

As stated in part (a):-

No metal is able to displace zinc from its solution, thus zinc is the most reactive among given metals.

Further, only metal B is able to displace iron from the iron sulphate solution. And element A can displace copper. Similarly, element C can displace silver from its solution.

So the reactivity order obtained is : D < C < A < B

Q.4. Which gas is produced when dilute hydrochloric acid is added to a reactive metal? Write the chemical reaction when iron reacts with dilute${\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4$.

Answer: In the case when dilute hydrochloric acid is added to a reactive metal, we obtain hydrogen gas. The reaction when sulphuric acid reacts with a reactive metal is shown below: $\mathrm{Fe}+{\mathrm{H}}_2{\mathrm{SO}}_4⟶{\mathrm{FeSO}}_4+{\mathrm{H}}_2$

In this reaction, we obtain an iron sulfate solution with the release of hydrogen gas.

Q.5. What would you observe when zinc is added to a solution of iron(II) sulfate? Write the chemical reaction that takes place.

Answer: By reactivity, we know that zinc is more reactive than iron. Thus zinc will displace iron from the iron sulphate solution and form zinc sulphate. The reaction is shown below:- $\mathrm{Zn}+{\mathrm{FeSO}}_4⟶{\mathrm{ZnSO}}_4+\mathrm{Fe}$

Topic- 3.3: How do metals and non-metals react? Page no- 49

Q.1. (i) Write the electron-dot structures for sodium, oxygen, and magnesium.

Answer:

The electron dot structure for sodium, oxygen, and magnesium is shown below:-

Q.1. (ii) Show the formation of and by the transfer of electrons.

Answer:

The formation of Na₂O and MgO is shown below:-

Q.1. (iii) What are the ions present in the compounds?

Answer: In ${\mathrm{Na}}_2\mathrm{O}$ the ions present are ${\mathrm{Na}}^{+}$and ${\mathrm{O}}^{2-}$, whereas in MgO the ions are ${\mathrm{Mg}}^{2+}$ and ${\mathrm{O}}^{2-}$.

Q.2. Why do ionic compounds have high melting points?

Answer: The ionic compounds have a very strong electrostatic force of attraction. To overcome these forces very high energy is needed. Thus it is generally seen that the melting point of ionic compounds is quite high.

Topic-3.4: Occurrence of metals Page no- 53

Q.1. (i) Define the following terms - Mineral.

Answer: In nature, the elements are present in a combined state known as minerals. Minerals may be defined as the solid chemical compound that occurs naturally in pure form. The chemical composition of minerals is the same throughout.

Q.1. (ii) Define the following term - Ores

Answer: Ores are defined as the minerals which can be extracted to make profits. Only economically extractable elements (generally metals) are considered to be ores.

Q.1. (iii) Define the following term: Gangue.

Answer: Gangue is the impurities present in the ores such as sand, silt soil. To make the element efficient and more useful, we need to remove the gangue from the ores.

Q.2. Name two metals which are found in nature in the free state.

Answer: The metals which are very low reactive elements may be found in free states. Two such metals are gold and silver . These metals are so unreactive that they don't form any oxidme that whichs or sulphides.

Q.3. What chemical process is used for obtaining a metal from its oxide?

Answer: We can obtain metal from its oxide by using the reduction process. The metal oxides are reduced using reducing agents such as hydrogen, which reacts with the reactive metals so that they can displace the metal from its oxide.

For e.g., From zinc oxide, we can get zinc by using a reducing agent, carbon.

$\mathrm{ZnO}+\mathrm{C}\to \mathrm{Zn}+\mathrm{CO}$

Topic 3.5 Corrosion Page no- 55

Q.1. Metallic oxides of zinc, magnesium, and copper were heated with the following metals

In which cases will you find displacement reactions taking place?

Answer:

The reactivity order of the given elements are: Mg > Zn > Cu

Thus the following result is observed :

Q.2. Which metals do not corrode easily?

Answer: The low reactive metals such as gold, don't corrode easily, whereas highly reactive elements are very easily corroded. This is why these metals (highly reactive) are given gold plating in order to protect them from corrosion.

Q.3. What are alloys?

Answer: Alloys are defined as the homogeneous mixture of two or more elements. Alloys are prepared to give specific features of all the constituent elements. It is prepared by melting one metal and then diffusing the other into.

For example: steel is an alloy, another one, and carbon.

NCERT Science Chapter 3 (Exercise Questions)

Q.1. Which of the following pairs will give displacement reactions?

a) NaCl solution and copper metal
b) ${\mathrm{MgCl}}_2$ solution and aluminum metal
c) ${\mathrm{FeSO}}_4$ solution and silver metal
d) $\mathrm{Ag}{\mathrm{NO}}_3$ solution and copper metal

Answer:
(d) $\mathrm{Ag}{\mathrm{NO}}_3$ solution and copper metal.

In all other options, the solution metal is more reactive than the given metal.
For e.g. in (b) ${\mathrm{MgCl}}_2$ solution and aluminum metal, Mg metal is more reactive than aluminum thus reactive will not take place.

Q.2. 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.

Answer:

(c) Applying a coating of zinc

It will be most suitable method to prevent it. Paint and grease can also be applied but these are not suitable methods as the pan will be heated and washed again and again.

Q.3. An element reacts with oxygen to give a compound with a high meltithe ng point. This compound is also soluble in water. The element is likely to be

(a) calcium
(b) carbon
(c) silicon
(d) iron.

Answer: The element is Calcium. As calcium oxide is soluble in water and has a high melting point.

Q.4. 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 calcium. It is more reactive than tin.
(d) zinc is less reactive than tin.

Answer: This is because zinc is more reactive than tin. So zinc may react with food items and make food unhealthy to consume.

Q.5. (a) You are given a hammer, a battery, a bulb, wires, and a switch.

How could you use them to distinguish between samples of metals and non-metals?

Answer: To distinguish between metals and non-metals, we can use two properties of metals:-

(i) Most of the metals are malleable, i.e., they can be converted into sheets. So with the help of a hammer, we can test and distinguish.

(ii) Metals are a good conductor of electricity whereas non-metals are poor conductors.

Q.5. (b) You are given a hammer, a battery, a bulb, wires, and a switch.

Assess the usefulness of these tests in distinguishing between metals and non-metals.

Answer: These are useful as there is no chemical reaction involved in identifying the metals and non-metals. These are just the physical tests which can be carried out at any level. As in the first test, the hammer is easily available at home. And in the second test, we used wires which are easily available in the market.

Class 10 Metal and Non Metal Question Answer

Q.6. What are amphoteric oxides? Give two examples of amphoteric oxides.

Answer: Amphoteric oxides are those oxides of metals that behave in both acidic and basic manner. These oxides react with acids and bases to produce salt and water as the major products. E.g. Aluminium oxide (Al 2 O 3 ), Zinc oxide (ZnO).

Q.7. Name two metals which will displace hydrogen from dilute acids, and two metals which will not.

Answer: Clearly, the metals which are more reactive than hydrogen will displace it from the dilute acids.

For e.g. potassium and sodium. But metals like silver and gold are less reactive than hydrogen so they will not be able to displace hydrogen.

Q.8. In the electrolytic refining of a metal M, what would you take as the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte?

Answer: The configuration for electrolytic refining will be:-

Electrolyte:- Salt solution of metal M

Anode:- Impure metal M

Cathode:- Pure metal M (Thin strips)

Q9.(a) 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 the figure below.

What will be the action of gas on dry litmus paper?

Answer:

In the given procedure, sulphur dioxide is formed.

(i) Thus gas (sulphur dioxide) has no effect on dry litmus paper.

(ii) SO₂ converts moist blue litmus paper to red due to the formation of sulphurous acid. (as sulphur dioxide reacts with moisture to produce acid).

Q.9.(b) 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 the figure below.

Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction taking place.

Answer: In the reaction, sulphur dioxide is formed. The chemical reaction is shown below:-

$\mathrm{S}+{\mathrm{O}}_2\to {\mathrm{SO}}_2(\mathrm{g})$

Q10. State two ways to prevent the rusting of iron.

Answer: The two ways to prevent rusting of iron are:-

(a) By making alloys of the elements.

(b) By using the electroplating method such as galvanization.

Q.11. What type of oxides are formed when non-metals combine with oxygen?

Answer: When non-metals combine with the oxygen they form acidic oxides.

For e.g., SO 2 is an acidic oxide formed when sulphur combines with oxygen.

Q.12.(a) Give reasons:

Platinum, gold, and silver are used to make jewellery.

Answer: There are three main reasons for why platinum, gold, and silver are used to make jewellery:-

(i) They are lustrous in nature.

(ii) They are very low reactive elements, thus they don't corrode easily.

(iii) They are found in low quantity so that makes them costly and not available for all. Hence these are used as a sign to show status in society.

Q.12. (b) Give reasons:

Sodium, potassium, and lithium are stored under oil.

Answer: The elements like sodium, potassium, and lithium are very reactive metals. They react with oxygen vigorously and thus are dangerous to keep them in contact with air and moisture. Hence they are generally kept under oil.

Q.12. (c) Give reasons:

Aluminum is a highly reactive metal, yet it is used to make utensils for cooking.

Answer: This is true that aluminum is a highly reactive element, but it has a property of non-corrosion. That's why it is used to make cooking utensils. The property comes from the fact that aluminum reacts with oxygen and forms a thin layer of aluminum oxide which acts as a protective coating layer to resist further corrosion.

Q.12. (d) Give reasons:

Carbonate and sulphide ores are usually converted into oxides during the process of extraction.

Answer: This is because the extraction of metal is easier from their oxides rather than their carbonates or sulphides. As in the case of oxides, we have to simply use a metal more reactive than the impure metal which needs to be extracted.

Q.13. 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.

Answer: The lemon and tamarind contain citric acid, which neutralizes the basic carbonic acid and thus dissolves the greenish layer. This is why lemon juice and tamarind is used to clean tarnished copper vessels.

Q.14. Differentiate between metal and non-metal on the basis of their chemical properties.

Answer:

The major differences between metals and non-metals are given below:-

Q.15. 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?

Answer: The solution man used must be aqua regia. It is a solution of a 3:1 mixture of conc. HCl and conc. HNO3 . It has the property that gold dissolves in this solution.

After dipping the gold in the solution, the outer layer of gold dissolves and the new surface is exposed, which appears to be shiny. This is why the weight of ornament is decreased.

Q.16. Give reasons why copper is used to make hot water tanks and not steel (an alloy of iron).

Answer: This is because steel contains iron which reacts with steam and forms iron oxide. Whereas copper doesn't react with cold water, hot water, and steam.

That's why hot water tanks are made up of copper, not steel.

$3\mathrm{Fe}+4{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\to {\mathrm{Fe}}_3{\mathrm{O}}_4+4{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}$

NCERT Class 10 Science Chapter 3 - Important Topics of NCERT Textbook

Before diving into the NCERT Class 10 Science Chapter 3 Solution we should cover the topic of this chapter.

3.1 Physical Properties of Metals And Non-Metals

3.2 Chemical Properties Of Metals

• What happens when metals are burnt in air?

• What happens when metals react with water?

• What happens when metals react with acids?

• How do metals react with solutions of other Metal Salts

• The Reactivity Series

3.3 How do Metals and Non-Metals react?

• Properties of Ionic Compounds

3.4 Occurrence of metals

• Extraction of metals

• Enrichment of Ores

• Extracting Metals Low in the Activity Series

• Extracting Metals in the Middle of the activities Series

• Extracting Metals towards the top of the Activity Series

• Refining of Metals

3.5 Corrosion

• Prevention of Corrosion

Class 10 Chapter 3 Science Important Reactions and Diagrams

Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals

Important Reactions

Metal + Oxygen → Metal oxide

For example: 2Cu (Copper) + O₂ → 2CuO (Copper(II) oxide)

Aluminium oxide reacts in the following manner with acids and bases:

Al₂O₃ + 6HCl → 2AlCl₃ + 3H₂O

Al₂O₃ + 2NaOH → 2NaAlO₂ (Sodium aluminate) + H₂O

Sodium oxide and potassium oxide dissolve in water to produce alkalis as follows:

Na₂O(s) + H₂O(l) → 2NaOH(aq)

K₂O(s) + H₂O(l) → 2KOH(aq)

Metal + Water → Metal oxide + Hydrogen

Example: 2Al(s) + 3H₂O(g) → Al₂O₃(s) + 3H₂(g)

Metal oxide + Water → Metal hydroxide

Example: 2K(s) + 2H₂O(l) → 2KOH(aq) + H₂(g) + heat energy

Metal + Dilute acid → Salt + Hydrogen

Metal A + Salt solution of B → Salt solution of A + Metal B

Reactivity series

How to solve NCERT Class 10 Science Chapter 3 questions effectively?

Students can follow the strategy given below to solve the Class 10 science question more effectively and attractively, which can help them to score good marks in their exams.

1) To solve the questions, a thorough understanding of the topics is a must.

• Proper reading of the chapter
• Focus more on reactivity series, properties, and chemical reactions involving metals and non-metals.

2) Remember important reactions like:

• Reactions of metals with acids, bases, and water.
• Reactions involving corrosion and prevention of corrosion.
• Displacement reaction.

3) To predict the reactions, students must know about the reactivity series

4) Proper practice of writing a balanced equation to solve questions related to balancing chemical equations.

5) Corrosion and prevention of corrosion is one of the important topics of this chapter, so a proper understanding of that is a must.

6) Practice in-text and end-of-chapter exercise questions from the NCERT textbook.

Types of Questions asked from the Metals and Non-Metals Class 10 NCERT Solutions

The CBSE Class 10 science board exam will have the following types of questions:

• Very short answer-type questions
• Short answer type questions
• Long answer type questions
• Numerical problems
• Diagram-based questions

Metals and Non-Metals Class 10 NCERT Solutions - Weightage in Board Exams

This chapter is one of the most scoring chapters from the point of view of board exams, as its weightage is around 10 marks. The question from this chapter may include 1-mark multiple-choice questions, 2-mark short answer type questions, and 4-mark competency-based questions that require complete information of the topic asked.

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NCERT Class 10 Science: Chapter wise Important Formulas, Diagrams, And Points

NCERT Solutions for Class 10th Science - Chapter-wise

Things you will get to know through NCERT Class 10 Science Solutions chapter 3 Metals and Non-Metals:

• NCERT solutions helps students to know that the metals are shiny, easily pliable, ductile and are good conductors of heat and electricity.
• Metals are solids at room temperature, one exception is mercury which is a liquid. By losing electrons to non-metals, they can form positive ions.
• Metals combine with oxygen to form basic oxides. Aluminum oxide and zinc oxide show the properties of both basic as well as acidic oxides. These oxides are known as amphoteric oxides. Different metals have different reactivities with water and dilute acids.
• Through NCERT solutions for class 10 science chapter 3 Metals and Non-Metals, students will study a list of common metals which are arranged in order of their decreasing reactivity is known as an activity series.
• Non-metals have properties opposite to that of metals. Non-metals are neither malleable nor ductile.
• In this chapter, student will study about conduction of heat and electricity. Except for graphite which conducts electricity, other non-metals are bad conductors of heat and electricity.
• When reacting with metals, non-metals form negatively charged ions by gaining electrons. They form oxides that are either acidic or neutral.
• They do not displace hydrogen from dilute acids. They react with hydrogen to form hydrides.

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