Question

The non-metal which is lustrous.
i. The non-metal which is liquid.
ii. Non-metal which is the conductor of electricity.
iii. The non-metal which is the hardest metal substance known.

Answer 1

Non-metals are generally those elements which form negative ions by accepting or gaining electrons. Non-metals usually have 4, 5, 6 or 7 electrons in their outermost shell. It has high ionization energy and high electronegativity.

Complete answer: Generally non-metals are those substances which do not follows the properties of metals like ductility, malleability, lustrous, sonorous, good conductor of heat and electricity but some exceptional cases are there which being a non-metal follows these properties and this can be explained as follows: Lustrous is a general property of metals but non-metal which also seems to have this property is carbon. The lustrous property in carbon is due to its different allotropes like in graphite and diamond. Another example is iodine. Non-metals are generally solid at room temperature; the only non-metal which is liquid in nature is bromine. Non-metal are generally bad conductors of electricity but only one of them can conduct electricity and that one is known by the name graphite. Graphite is a good conductor of electricity. Hardest non-metal is the generally the allotrope of carbon nonmetal known by the name diamond. Hence diamond is the hardest metal substance known which has a very high value of hardness on Moh’s scale.

Note: Non-metals are generally used for the preparation of ammonia, nitric acid and fertilizers in which non-metal nitrogen is used, in case of purification of water chlorine is used and carbon in the form of graphite is used in pencils and there are many other uses too.