Metal or Nonmetal?
7/9/13
Charlie, Georgie, Ben
Dr. Foreman
Purpose:
The purpose of this lab is to work with un-known elements and decide whether each element is either a metal, metalloid, or a nonmetal.
Significance of lab:
This lab not only gave me a better understanding on how to distinguish the difference between metals, metalloids, and nonmetals, but it also taught me how to make accurate conclusions. I learned that the appearance of the elements are diseaving because the element may look like a metal, but in reality the element may be a metalloid or a nonmetal. This lab made me understand the significance of doing many observations, and using the results from these observations to make an accurate conclusion about an element being a metal, metalloid, or a nonmetal.
Abstract:
After my group and I worked hard together, we were able to identify the unknown elements (A-G) as either a metal, metalloid, or a nonmetal. We were able to determine if the elements were either a metal or nonmetal by preforming 5 different tests. These tests include either testing for physical properties or chemical properties. The physical properties we tested for include recording the appearance of the elements (luster or dull) and crushing the elements with a hammer to see if the element would break (brittle), or flatten but not break (malleable). The chemical properties we tested for include the presence or absence of conductivity, and the recording of reactivity with the two solutions hydrochloric acid and copper chloride.
Procedure:
Results:
Although testing for metals, metalloids, and non metals may seem easy, in reality my group and I had a hard time concluding which unknown elements were actually metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. From our five observations, it was easy to detect if the elements were either metals or nonmetals because metals are malleable, conduct electricity, and are luster. And nonmetals are dull, do not conduct electricity, and are brittle. On the other hand, identifying the element as a metal or metalloid was quiet difficult because metalloids are a mixture of both metals and nonmetals. If my group and I just looked at the appearance of the unknown elements we would have concluded false information. Therefore, we had to look at all the results from the five observations to make an accurate conclusion. This was difficult because some elements conducted electricity, but could easily shatter (brittle) at the same time like elements D and G. And some elements could have not conducted electricity, but was malleable at the same time like element A. Along with the other comparisons, some elements may have been brittle, but reacted with the solutions like element A. With all these different types of conclusions, my group and I finally were able to decide which unknown elements were metals, metalloids, or nonmetals. We concluded that elements A, C, and F were metals, elements B, D, and G were metalloids, and element E was a nonmetal.
Class aggregated data:
When the class's results were all put together in a data table, it was obvious that there were a variety of results. For element A, most groups concluded that it was metal, while one group concluded it was a nonmetal. For element B, there was a tie that the element was either a metalloid or a metal. For element C, all groups conclude that the element was a metal besides one group that thought the element was a metalloid. For element D, there was a mixture of results that the element was either a metal, nonmetal, or metalloid. For element E, most groups concluded that the element was a nonmetal. For element F, all groups concluded that this element was a metal. And finally for element G, there was a variety of results for metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. The different results from all the groups could be that there was a confusion on whether the element was a metal, nonmetal, or a mixture of the two. And with this confusion could come the variety of results.
Lab Questions
1. In this experiment the physical properties tested was the appearance and the crushing of the element. The chemical properties tested in this experiment was was conductivity of the element and the reactivity with copper chloride and hydrochloric acid.
2. The first group of the seven unknown elements are called the metals. This group consists of elements A, C, and F. The second group of the unknown elements are called the nonmetals. This group consists of one element, which is element E.
3. The elements that could fit into either groups would be element B, D, and G. These elements would be metalloids. This is because their appearance may say something, but the other observations may say something else. For example these elements may look luster and conduct electricity, but they are actually brittle and don't react with the two solutions. And some of these elements may look dull, but actually conducts electricity.
4. The tested elements that are metals are elements A, C, and F. The tested elements that are metalloids are elements B, D, and G. And lastly the tested element that is a nonmetal is element E.
The purpose of this lab is to work with un-known elements and decide whether each element is either a metal, metalloid, or a nonmetal.
Significance of lab:
This lab not only gave me a better understanding on how to distinguish the difference between metals, metalloids, and nonmetals, but it also taught me how to make accurate conclusions. I learned that the appearance of the elements are diseaving because the element may look like a metal, but in reality the element may be a metalloid or a nonmetal. This lab made me understand the significance of doing many observations, and using the results from these observations to make an accurate conclusion about an element being a metal, metalloid, or a nonmetal.
Abstract:
After my group and I worked hard together, we were able to identify the unknown elements (A-G) as either a metal, metalloid, or a nonmetal. We were able to determine if the elements were either a metal or nonmetal by preforming 5 different tests. These tests include either testing for physical properties or chemical properties. The physical properties we tested for include recording the appearance of the elements (luster or dull) and crushing the elements with a hammer to see if the element would break (brittle), or flatten but not break (malleable). The chemical properties we tested for include the presence or absence of conductivity, and the recording of reactivity with the two solutions hydrochloric acid and copper chloride.
Procedure:
- Create a data table including six columns, including the elements and the properties we are testing for
- Record the appearance of each element like color, luster, and form
- Use an electrical conductivity apparatus, and touch both the electrodes to the element sample
- Record if the element is a conductor (light turns on) or a nonconductor (light doesn't turn on)
 |
| nonconductor |
 |
| conductor |
- Gently tap each element with a hammer
- Record if the element is malleable (flattens, but doesn't shatter) or brittle (shatters into pieces)
 |
| brittle |
 |
| malleable |
- Reactivity with copper chloride:
- Label seven wells in a clean well-plate A-G
- Place a sample of each element into a separate well
- Add 15-20 drops of 0.1 M copper chloride to each sample
- Allow the sample to sit for 5 minutes
- Observe and record a change in the sample's appearance and if the elements reacted with the copper chloride
 |
| reaction with copper chloride |
- Put this well plate to the side
- Get a new well plate
- Reactivity with acid:
- Label seven wells in the clean well-plate A-G
- Place a sample of each element into a separate well
- Add 15-20 drops of 0.5 M HCl to each sample
- Allow the sample to sit for 5 minutes
- Observe and record a formation of gas bubbles and a reaction with the hydrochloric acid
 |
| reaction with hydrologic acid |
- Discard both well-plates
- Wash your hands thoroughly
Results:
Although testing for metals, metalloids, and non metals may seem easy, in reality my group and I had a hard time concluding which unknown elements were actually metals, nonmetals, or metalloids. From our five observations, it was easy to detect if the elements were either metals or nonmetals because metals are malleable, conduct electricity, and are luster. And nonmetals are dull, do not conduct electricity, and are brittle. On the other hand, identifying the element as a metal or metalloid was quiet difficult because metalloids are a mixture of both metals and nonmetals. If my group and I just looked at the appearance of the unknown elements we would have concluded false information. Therefore, we had to look at all the results from the five observations to make an accurate conclusion. This was difficult because some elements conducted electricity, but could easily shatter (brittle) at the same time like elements D and G. And some elements could have not conducted electricity, but was malleable at the same time like element A. Along with the other comparisons, some elements may have been brittle, but reacted with the solutions like element A. With all these different types of conclusions, my group and I finally were able to decide which unknown elements were metals, metalloids, or nonmetals. We concluded that elements A, C, and F were metals, elements B, D, and G were metalloids, and element E was a nonmetal.
Class aggregated data:
When the class's results were all put together in a data table, it was obvious that there were a variety of results. For element A, most groups concluded that it was metal, while one group concluded it was a nonmetal. For element B, there was a tie that the element was either a metalloid or a metal. For element C, all groups conclude that the element was a metal besides one group that thought the element was a metalloid. For element D, there was a mixture of results that the element was either a metal, nonmetal, or metalloid. For element E, most groups concluded that the element was a nonmetal. For element F, all groups concluded that this element was a metal. And finally for element G, there was a variety of results for metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. The different results from all the groups could be that there was a confusion on whether the element was a metal, nonmetal, or a mixture of the two. And with this confusion could come the variety of results.
Lab Questions
1. In this experiment the physical properties tested was the appearance and the crushing of the element. The chemical properties tested in this experiment was was conductivity of the element and the reactivity with copper chloride and hydrochloric acid.
2. The first group of the seven unknown elements are called the metals. This group consists of elements A, C, and F. The second group of the unknown elements are called the nonmetals. This group consists of one element, which is element E.
3. The elements that could fit into either groups would be element B, D, and G. These elements would be metalloids. This is because their appearance may say something, but the other observations may say something else. For example these elements may look luster and conduct electricity, but they are actually brittle and don't react with the two solutions. And some of these elements may look dull, but actually conducts electricity.
4. The tested elements that are metals are elements A, C, and F. The tested elements that are metalloids are elements B, D, and G. And lastly the tested element that is a nonmetal is element E.
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