Kinds of elements
Metals, non-metals and in-betweens.
Gold and sulfur
Gold shines and is a metal. Sulfur is a yellow non-metal. Some elements are in between.
What are the elements in between called?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Elements are classified into metals and non-metals; some elements, such as silicon and boron, have properties intermediate between metals and non-metals and are called metalloids.
Gold and sulfur
Gold shines and is a metal. Sulfur is a yellow non-metal. Some elements are in between.
What are the elements in between called?
- Metalloids
- Alloys
- Compounds
Sort the elements
Tap the bin where each element belongs.
Three groups
Elements can be classified into metals and non-metals. A few elements have properties in between.
Elements are metals or non-metals. Elements like silicon and boron have properties between the two. They are metalloids.
- Group | Examples
- Metals | Gold, silver, magnesium, iron, aluminium
- Non-metals | Carbon, sulfur, hydrogen, oxygen
- Metalloids | Silicon, boron
Notes
Elements: metals, non-metals, and metalloids (in between).
Check yourself
Silicon and boron are …
Which of these is a non-metal?
Which of these is a metal?
Metalloids have properties …
- metals only. They have properties between those of metals and non-metals.
- non-metals only. They have properties between those of metals and non-metals.
- metalloids — correct. Yes!
- Sulfur — correct. Yes!
- Gold. Gold is a metal.
- Iron. Iron is a metal.
- Carbon. Carbon is a non-metal.
- Aluminium — correct. Yes!
- Oxygen. Oxygen is a non-metal.
- exactly like metals. They are in between.
- exactly like non-metals. They are in between.
- intermediate between metals and non-metals — correct. Yes!