Which of the following is a common chemical property of many metals?

• A. They react with nonmetals to form covalent compounds.
• B. They readily gain electrons to form negative ions.
• C. They are generally poor conductors of electricity.
• D. They tend to lose electrons to form positive ions.

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that a chemical property describes how a substance reacts or changes chemically when it interacts with other substances.
2. Recall that metals typically have low ionization energies, meaning they tend to lose electrons rather than gain them during chemical reactions.
3. Recognize that when metals lose electrons, they form positive ions called cations, which is a characteristic behavior of metals in chemical reactions.
4. Note that metals usually react with nonmetals by transferring electrons to form ionic compounds, not covalent compounds, so the statement about forming covalent compounds is incorrect.
5. Also remember that metals are generally good conductors of electricity due to the presence of free-moving electrons, so the statement about poor conductivity is incorrect.