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Metals and Non-Metals — Class 10 CBSE Science MCQs with Solutions
Free Class 10 CBSE Science Metals and Non-Metals MCQs with step-by-step solutions. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Sample questions with solutions
Q1 — easy
Metal that exists in liquid state at room temperature is:
A. Sodium
B. Mercury (Hg) ✓ Correct
C. Gallium
D. Potassium
Solution: Mercury is a liquid metal at room temperature.
Q2 — easy
Non-metal that exists in liquid state at room temperature is:
A. Iodine
B. Bromine (Br₂) ✓ Correct
C. Carbon
D. Sulphur
Solution: Bromine is a non-metallic liquid at room temperature.
Q3 — easy
Metals that are soft enough to be easily cut with a knife are:
A. Iron and Copper
B. Sodium and Potassium ✓ Correct
C. Gold and Silver
D. Aluminium and Magnesium
Solution: Alkali metals (Na, K, Li) have low density and soft metallic bonding.
Q4 — easy
An amphoteric oxide is an oxide that reacts with both acids and bases to produce salt and water. Example:
A. Na₂O
B. Al₂O₃ (and ZnO) ✓ Correct
C. MgO
D. CuO
Solution: Al₂O₃ and ZnO exhibit both acidic and basic behaviors.
Q5 — easy
When metals react with cold water, which metal reacts violently catching fire?
A. Magnesium
B. Sodium and Potassium ✓ Correct
C. Calcium
D. Iron
Solution: Na and K react vigorously with cold water, liberating flammable H₂.
Q6 — easy
Which metal does NOT react with cold or hot water, but reacts with steam to form oxide and hydrogen gas?
A. Sodium
B. Calcium
C. Iron (and Aluminium, Zinc) ✓ Correct
D. Copper
Solution: 3Fe + 4H₂O(steam) → Fe₃O₄ + 4H₂.
Q7 — easy
Gold, Silver, and Platinum do NOT react with water or dilute acids because they lie at the _______ of reactivity series.
A. Top
B. Middle
C. Bottom ✓ Correct
D. Center
Solution: Noble metals are unreactive and located at the bottom of the reactivity series.
Q8 — easy
Ionic compounds possess high melting points because of strong:
A. Covalent bonds
B. Intermolecular forces
C. Electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions ✓ Correct
D. Hydrogen bonds
Solution: Strong ionic lattices require significant thermal energy to break.
Q9 — easy
Ionic compounds conduct electricity ONLY when:
A. In solid state
B. In molten state or aqueous solution ✓ Correct
C. Frozen
D. Dry
Solution: Free mobile ions are available only in molten or dissolved state.
Q10 — easy
Cinnabar is an ore of which metal?
A. Copper
B. Mercury (HgS) ✓ Correct
C. Iron
D. Aluminium
Solution: Cinnabar is Mercury(II) sulphide (HgS).
Q11 — easy
Process of heating a sulphide ore strongly in presence of excess air to convert it into oxide is:
A. Calcination
B. Roasting ✓ Correct
C. Reduction
D. Refining
Solution: Roasting converts sulphide ores into oxides using excess oxygen.
Q12 — easy
Process of heating a carbonate ore strongly in limited supply of air is:
A. Roasting
B. Calcination ✓ Correct
C. Smelting
D. Galvanization
Solution: Calcination decomposes carbonate ores in limited air.
Q13 — easy
Thermite process involves reduction of iron(III) oxide using highly reactive metal powder:
A. Copper
B. Aluminium powder ✓ Correct
C. Zinc
D. Lead
Solution: Fe₂O₃ + 2Al → 2Fe + Al₂O₃ + Heat (used in railway track welding).
Q14 — easy
In electrolytic refining of copper, impure copper sheet is made the _______ and pure copper sheet is made the _______.
A. Cathode, Anode
B. Anode, Cathode ✓ Correct
C. Electrolyte, Anode
D. Cathode, Solution
Solution: Impure metal dissolves at anode; pure metal deposits on cathode.
Q15 — easy
An alloy of mercury with another metal is called an:
A. Brass
B. Bronze
C. Amalgam ✓ Correct
D. Solder
Solution: Mercury alloys are termed amalgams.