What is the difference between a metal, a non-metal, and a metalloid?

Answer 1

Metal is metal,
non-metal isn't metal,
metalloid is sort of like metal but not really.

=)

Answer 2

Metals are solids that are good conductors of electricity and generally form ionic compounds where the metal is the anion. Liquid mercury would also be considered a metal although it is not solid.

Metalloids are not good conductors of electricity and although they would be considered the anionic part of a compound, form covalent bonds with the cationic portion.

Pretty much everything else is a non-metal, except for gallium, I believe which behaves more like a metalloid.

Answer 3

Metalloid is a term used in chemistry when classifying the chemical elements. On the basis of their general physical and chemical properties, nearly every element in the periodic table can be termed either a metal or a nonmetal - however a few elements with intermediate properties are referred to as metalloids. (In Greek metallon = metal and eidos = sort)
* Boron (B)
* Silicon (Si)
* Germanium (Ge)
* Arsenic (As)
* Antimony (Sb)
* Tellurium (Te)
* Polonium (Po)

In chemistry, a metal (Greek: fudgeon) fudgean element that readily loses electrons to form positive ions (cations) and has metallic bonds between metal atoms. Metals form ionic bonds with non-metals. They are sometimes described as a lattice of positive ions surrounded by a cloud of delocalized electrons.
Examples are : Sodium, Potassium, Rubidium, etc.

The elements generally regarded as nonmetals are:

* hydrogen (H)
* In Group 14: carbon (C)
* In Group 15 (the pnictogens): nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P)
* Several elements in Group 16, the chalcogens: oxygen (O), sulfur (S), selenium (Se)
* All elements in Group 17 - the halogens
* All elements in Group 18 - the noble gases
There is no rigorous definition for the term "nonmetal" - it covers a general spectrum of behaviour. Common properties considered characteristic of a nonmetal include:

* poor conductors of heat and electricity when compared to metals
* they form acidic oxides (whereas metals generally form basic oxides)
* in solid form, they are dull and brittle, rather than metals which are lustrous, ductile or malleable
* usually have lower densities than metals
* they have significantly lower melting points and boiling points than metals
* non-metals have high electronegativity
* nonmetals usually have little or no luster

Answer 4

They are grouped together and located in different parts of the Periodic Table

Answer 5

Metal is like Metallica and non-metal is like Jethro Tull. Metaloid, hmm possibly REM??

Answer 6

6 grader needs help with this