You are given a hammer, a battery, a bulb, wires and a switch.

(a) How could you use them to distinguish between samples of metals and non-metals?

(b) Assess the usefulness of metals based on properties shown by these tests.

(a) (i) Metals are malleable because they can change into a thin sheet on hammering whereas non-metals are brittle as they are broken into pieces on hammering. When we beat the samples, if sample turns into a thin sheet, then it is a meatal otherwise it is a non-metal.

(ii) We can use battery, bulb, wires and switch to set up an electric sample. Now place the given samples to be tested in the circuit between the terminals one by one. The sample which allows the current to pass through it making the bulb to light up, will be a metal. On the other hand, the sample which does not allow the current to pass through it and hence does not make the bulb to light up, will be a non-metal.

(b) Metals are malleable as they can turn into thin sheets. The metal sheets can be used for various purposes such as iron sheets are used for making buckets, roofing material and boxes.

Metals are good conductor of electricity. Therefore, the metal wires are used as electric wires for various purposes.