Metal, Nonmetal, or Metalloid Lab
Procedure for Station A
Watch the demonstrations for gallium and sodium, record data in a table like the one below. Record the properties I have done for
you in the table. Later, use the links to watch the video for mercury and sodium to fill in your table. For nickel, click on the links to
research the properties and complete the tables. For silicon, use links to webpages for properties where provided, and make
observations in the lab for the remaining properties.
Element
Chemical
Symbol
Gallium (demo)
Ga
Mercury
(on video)
Color
https://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=31CE2BYicyU
Luster (shiny or
dull)
https://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=31CE2BYicyU
Magnetic (yes
or no)
Slightly
Silicon
(on links)
Nickel
(on video)
Sodium
(demo)
http://
en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Nickel
http://
en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Nickel
http://
www.propertiesof
matter.si.edu/
Nickel.html
Malleable or
Brittle
Reaction with
HCl
Conductivity
State
Soft, malleable
Slight bubbling
at edges
Soft, malleable
No reaction
Yes, strong
https://
www.youtube.com/
watch?
v=31CE2BYicyU
http://
www.chemicool.co
m/elements/
silicon.html
http://
www.chemicool.co
m/elements/
silicon.html
http://
www.propertiesof
matter.si.edu/
Nickel.html
http://
www.propertiesof
matter.si.edu/
Nickel.html
http://
www.propertiesof
matter.si.edu/
Nickel.html
http://
en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Nickel
https://
www.youtube.co
m/watch?
v=j5tXJ0Uwvz8
Yes, strong
Procedure for Station B
Do not open any container unless instructed to do so. Record the chemical symbol, color, luster, and state of each element. Use
the magnet to check for magnetic properties on a LONG strip of aluminum, copper, magnesium, iron and zinc; press the two tips of
the conductivity tester to each of the long strips to check for conductivity, compare results to the key included with the conductivity
tester. GENTLY bend the long strips to check for malleability without breaking the strips. Put a SMALL piece of aluminum turnings,
copper turnings, SMALL scoop of magnesium turnings, SMALL scoop of iron powder and SMALL scoop of mossy zinc, each in a
different test tube, add a dropper pipet of HCl to check for reactivity with acid. When the reaction has had time to run and is finished,
pour the contents of each test tube into the labeled waste beaker. Rinse test tubes until they are clean and replace in test tube rack.
Put the magnet on the OUTSIDE of the bag of carbon to check for magnetic properties. Take a SMALL piece of carbon, carefully but
firmly hit a chunk of the carbon with the hammer to see if it is brittle. Take a long strip of carbon (graphite allotrope), use the
conductivity tester on the carbon. Take a SMALL piece of the carbon and put it in a test tube, add a dropper pipet of the acid to check
for a reaction with acid. Empty test tube into labeled waste beaker, rinse the test tube and return it to the rack. Make sure your lab
station is orderly and wait until the class is ready to move to the next station.
Element
Chemical
Symbol
Color
Luster (shiny Magnetic
or dull)
(yes or no)
Malleable or
Brittle
Reaction
with HCl
Conductivity
Helium
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Hydrogen
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Nitrogen
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Oxygen
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
State
Aluminum
Carbon
Copper
Iron
Magnesium
Zinc
Procedure for Station C
Follow the instructions of your teachers VERY CAREFULLY, some of the chemicals at this lab station can be hazardous if not
handled properly.
Element
Chemical
Symbol
Color
Luster (shiny or
dull)
Magnetic (yes
or no)
Malleable or
Brittle
Reaction with
HCl
Conductivity
Iodine (use only
IN HOOD)
No Reaction
No
Lead (handle
only WITH
GLOVES)
Yes, Slowly
Sulfur (use only
IN HOOD)
No Reaction
Platinum
No Reaction
State
No
Calculations:
1. Make a note card for each element in all three sections of the lab, listing all the properties on each card. Sort the elements into two categories
based on similarities in chemical and physical properties. Show your categories and how you made your determinations.
2. Are there any inconsistencies within the groups? Are there any elements that seem to have properties from both categories? Make a third
category for these elements. You should now have three groups: metals, metalloids, and nonmetals. Label the three groups. Identify which
elements went into each of the three groups.
Conclusions (there are 3):
For each group (metals, metalloids, and nonmetals) write a conclusion that tells the general properties of those types of elements and gives
examples of elements from the lab to provide evidence.
Discussion:
1. How can knowing the trends of properties and the organization of the periodic table help chemists identify a material?
2. How can knowing the trends of properties and the organization of the periodic table help chemists select a suitable material for a certain product
or task?
3. Some metalloids can also be called semiconductors. Read all 4 pages of this article (http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/diode.htm), and then
explain what a semiconductor is, how it works, what is N-type and P-type doping, and why semiconductors are so important. If you read and use
the information from any additional articles, cite the sources you used (so you get credit for your extra work!)