Which metal is in the liquid state at room temperature?
- A.Sodium
- B.Mercury
- C.Lead
- D.Tungsten
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, mercury. Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at ordinary room temperature, which is why it was long used in thermometers and barometers; it is also the metal that forms amalgams, alloys in which mercury is one component. Option A, sodium, is a solid, although a very soft one that can be cut with a knife and must be stored under kerosene because it reacts violently with air and water. Option C, lead, is a soft, dense solid with a low melting point, but it is far from liquid at room temperature. Option D, tungsten, has the highest melting point of the metals, which is exactly why it is used for the filament of an incandescent lamp. Among non-metals, bromine is the one that is liquid at room temperature, and gallium and caesium are metals that melt in the warmth of the hand.
Read the full article: Metals and Non-Metals: Properties, Ores and Alloys
Practice Questions
View allCalamine is an ore of:
- A.Tin
- B.Magnesium
- C.Zinc
- D.Copper
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Calamine is zinc carbonate, and since it is a carbonate ore it is converted to the oxide by calcination, that is by heating in the absence of air, before being reduced to the metal.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is NOT an alloy?
- A.Solder
- B.Silver
- C.Bronze
- D.Brass
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Silver is an element, a pure metal with its own place in the periodic table, so it cannot be an alloy; an alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals, or of a metal with a non-metal such as carbon.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is the most ductile metal?
- A.Gold
- B.Copper
- C.Silver
- D.Iron
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Ductility is the property of being drawn into a wire, and gold is the most ductile metal known; it is also the most malleable, so a very small quantity can be beaten into an extremely thin sheet or drawn into a very long wire.
Read the full explanation →Brass is an alloy of:
- A.copper and tin
- B.copper and nickel
- C.copper and iron
- D.copper and zinc
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Brass takes the workability of copper and the hardness of zinc, resists corrosion and is easy to cast, which is why it is used for utensils, locks, taps, fittings and wind instruments.
Read the full explanation →Aqua regia, which dissolves gold, is a mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated nitric acid in the ratio:
- A.1:1
- B.1:3
- C.3:1
- D.2:3
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Aqua regia is three parts concentrated hydrochloric acid to one part concentrated nitric acid, and the name means royal water, given because the mixture attacks the noble metals gold and platinum, which neither acid can dissolve on its own.
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