Nonmetals

Question 1

What are nonmetals?

Answer 1

Nonmetals are chemical elements that generally lack a predominance of metallic properties.

Question 2

What are the physical properties of nonmetals?

Answer 2

• Brittle
• Dull
• Poor conductors of electricity and heat

Question 3

What is(are) the chemical property(ies) of nonmetals?

Answer 3

• They react by gaining or sharing electrons with other atoms

Question 4

If a metal and a nonmetal combine, how will the nonmetal react?

Answer 4

Electrons will move from the metal atom to the nonmetal atom

Question 5

If a nonmetal and another nonmetal combine, how will the nonmetal(s) react?

Answer 5

The atoms will share their electrons to form compounds

Question 6

How many nonmetal families are there and what are they?

Answer 6

6: Hydrogen, the noble gases, the halogen family, the oxygen family, the nitrogen family, and the carbon family

Question 7

What are the characteristics of the carbon family?

Answer 7

• Belongs to Group 14
• Proteins, fat, and DNA all contain carbon.
• Fuel, coal, gasoline from crude oil contain carbon.
• Diamonds are made of pure carbon under high temperature and pressure.

Question 8

What are the characteristics of the nitrogen family?

Answer 8

• Belong to Group 15
• 78% of the atmosphere is N2
• Used in fertilizers.
• Most living organisms need Nitrogen, but they cannot use it directly from the atmosphere. However, certain bacteria fixate nitrogen from the atmosphere and turn it into usable nitrogen (Nitrogen Fixation from The nitrogen cycle) that can be used by plants.
• Phosphorus is more reactive than nitrogen,and it’s always found in compounds.

Question 9

What are the characteristics of the oxygen family?

Answer 9

• Belong to Group 16
• Oxygen is a gas; Sulfur and Selenium are solids.
• O2 is important for living organisms.
• Oxygen is very reactive; it reacts with almost everything.
• Sulfur compounds smell like rotten eggs; Sulfur is used in tires and rubber band manufacture.

Question 10

What are the characteristics of the halogen family?

Answer 10

• Belong to Group 17
• Halogen means “salt forming” compounds.
• The most reactive non-metals.
• They are poisonous; Chlorine is extremely dangerous;i t’s used in small amounts to kill bacteria in water.
• Fluorine is the most reactive one: compounds of fluorine are used to make non-stick cookware, and they’re found in toothpaste as they prevent tooth decay.

Question 11

What are the characteristics of the noble gases?

Answer 11

• Belong to Group 18
• Nonreactive Gases
• They don’t form compounds.
• They don’t lose, gain or share electrons.
• Helium is used in balloons.
• Noble gases are used in glowing electric light.

Question 12

What are the characteristics of Hydrogen?

Answer 12

• Belongs to Group One
• More than 90% of the atoms in the universe are hydrogen.The sun contains massive amount of hydrogen.
• It makes up 1% of the earth’s crust.
• Rarely found pure,most hydrogen is combined with oxygen to make water.