Which statement best describes the chemical properties of metals?

• A. Metals tend to lose electrons to form positive ions in chemical reactions.
• B. Metals generally gain electrons to form negative ions.
• C. Metals are usually poor conductors of electricity.
• D. Metals commonly react with nonmetals to form covalent compounds.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that chemical properties describe how a substance behaves during chemical reactions, including how it gains or loses electrons.
2. Recall that metals typically have low ionization energies, meaning they tend to lose electrons rather than gain them.
3. Recognize that when metals lose electrons, they form positive ions called cations.
4. Note that metals are generally good conductors of electricity due to the presence of free-moving electrons, so the statement about poor conductivity is incorrect.
5. Remember that metals usually react with nonmetals to form ionic compounds, not covalent compounds, because of the transfer of electrons from metal to nonmetal.