Which of the following is a typical chemical property of metals?

• A. They are poor conductors of electricity.
• B. They readily form covalent bonds with nonmetals.
• C. They tend to lose electrons to form positive ions.
• D. They are generally brittle and break easily.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand what a chemical property is: it describes how a substance interacts with other substances and changes its chemical identity.
2. Recall that metals typically have low ionization energies, meaning they tend to lose electrons during chemical reactions.
3. Recognize that when metals lose electrons, they form positive ions (cations), which is a key chemical property.
4. Evaluate the given options: poor conductivity and brittleness are physical properties, not chemical properties; forming covalent bonds is more typical of nonmetals.
5. Conclude that the typical chemical property of metals is their tendency to lose electrons and form positive ions.