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Multiple Choice
Which of the following is a typical physical property of metals?
A
They are usually brittle.
B
They are good conductors of electricity.
C
They have low melting points.
D
They are generally transparent.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand what a physical property is: it is a characteristic of a substance that can be observed or measured without changing the substance's chemical identity.
Recall common physical properties of metals, such as luster (shiny appearance), malleability (ability to be hammered into sheets), ductility (ability to be drawn into wires), high melting points, and good electrical and thermal conductivity.
Analyze each option in the problem: 'They are usually brittle' is generally false for metals because metals tend to be malleable rather than brittle.
'They have low melting points' is incorrect because most metals have relatively high melting points compared to nonmetals.
'They are generally transparent' is incorrect because metals are typically opaque due to their electron structure.
Therefore, the correct typical physical property of metals is that they are good conductors of electricity, which relates to the free movement of electrons within the metal lattice.