Tag: physical properties of non-metals

Non-metals vary greatly in appearance. They do not have lustre. As it does not have any free electrons light falling on non-metals does not reflect and hence non-metals are not shiny. Hence, they have a very dull appearance.

Diamond is the hardest substance known to man with a hardness of 10.0. It is brittle sometimes because it grows in diamond shape crystals, sometimes there are tiny cracks or flaws in the diamond and a hard strike against the crack of course will cause the diamond to crack into many pieces. Crystalline materials have planes of variable shear and normal strengths hence, they fail on fracture mechanism. Also, crystalline nature makes them extremely strong at surface resisting scratch.

Non-metals are very brittle and cannot be rolled into wires or pounded into sheets. They break easily when hit by a hammer.

Non-metal are neither malleable nor ductile. Non metals are brittle.

Non-metals are not ductile because they are brittle elements. They break easily. Such non-metals cannot be deformed by a hammer or rolling. 

Selenium is a chemical element with symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal with properties that are intermediate between those of its periodic table column-adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium. As it a non-metal, it cannot be deformed into a wire as it is brittle.

Iodine is a non-metal which is brittle in nature, it breaks and shatters easily when hammered. Hence, it cannot be used to make thin wires and is non-ductile.

Non-metals are non-malleable and non-ductile. They are brittle. They break easily. So, they are regarded as brittle. They can't be stretched into mines or hammered into sheets.

Brittleness is a characteristic property of non-metals. And here, we consider solid non-metals only. It is not applicable to liquid or gaseous non-metals.

Non metals do not have  lustre which means that non-metals do not have a shining surface. That means they have a dull appearance.