Metals and Non Metals — Class 10 Chemistry NCERT Solutions (Free)

Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 10 Chemistry chapter "Metals and Non Metals" — 10 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board exam preparation.

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TL;DR: Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 10 Chemistry chapter "Metals and Non Metals" — 10 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board…

Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated Jul 23, 2026

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Key Questions Covered:

Define metals and non-metals based on their physical properties. Give two exa…
Explain the difference between the reactivity of metals and non-metals with o…
What is the reactivity series of metals? Arrange these metals in order of the…
Explain roasting and calcination. How are they used in the extraction of metals?
What is reduction in the context of metal extraction? Explain with a suitable…
Write the chemical equations for the reaction of Sodium metal with water and …
+ 4 more questions in the full chapter

Solutions Summary:

Question	Status
Define metals and non-metals based on their physical prop…	✓ Solved
Explain the difference between the reactivity of metals a…	✓ Solved
What is the reactivity series of metals? Arrange these me…	✓ Solved
Explain roasting and calcination. How are they used in th…	✓ Solved
What is reduction in the context of metal extraction? Exp…	✓ Solved
Write the chemical equations for the reaction of Sodium m…	✓ Solved

Showing 6 of 10 questions

Q1: Define metals and non-metals based on their physical properties. Give two examples of each.

Metals are elements that generally have a shiny appearance, are malleable, ductile, and are good conductors of heat and electricity. They are solid at room temperature (except mercury). Examples: Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe) Non-metals are elements that are generally dull in appearance, brittle, and are poor conductors of heat and electricity. They can exist in solid, liquid, or gaseous states at room temperature. Examples: Oxygen (O2), Sulfur (S)

Q2: Explain the difference between the reactivity of metals and non-metals with oxygen. Illustrate with equations.

Metals generally react with oxygen to form basic oxides (metal oxides). Example: 2Mg + O2 -> 2MgO (Magnesium oxide is basic) Non-metals react with oxygen to form acidic oxides (non-metal oxides). Example: S + O2 -> SO2 (Sulfur dioxide is acidic) The oxides of metals are typically basic and turn red litmus paper blue. The oxides of non-metals are typically acidic and turn blue litmus paper red. This difference is due to the nature of bonding—metals form ionic bonds with oxygen, while non-...

Q3: What is the reactivity series of metals? Arrange these metals in order of their reactivity: Copper, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium.

The reactivity series of metals is the arrangement of metals in the order of their decreasing reactivity. More reactive metals displace less reactive metals from their salt solutions. Arrangement in decreasing order of reactivity: Calcium (Ca) > Magnesium (Mg) > Iron (Fe) > Copper (Cu) Calcium is most reactive because it loses electrons easily, while Copper is least reactive among these four metals. This series helps predict displacement reactions. For example, Magnesium can displace ...

Q4: Explain roasting and calcination. How are they used in the extraction of metals?

Both are processes used to convert ore into metal oxides for extraction: Roasting: - The process of heating an ore in excess of air/oxygen below its melting point - Used for sulfide ores - Example: 2ZnS + 3O2 -> 2ZnO + 2SO2 - The zinc sulfide is converted to zinc oxide Calcination: - The process of heating an ore in the absence or limited supply of air below its melting point - Used for carbonate and hydrated ores - Example: CaCO3 -> CaO + CO2 (heating of limestone) - The carbonate is de...

Q5: What is reduction in the context of metal extraction? Explain with a suitable example.

Reduction is the process of removing oxygen from a compound. In metal extraction, it refers to converting a metal oxide into a pure metal by removing oxygen. Most commonly, carbon (in the form of coke) is used as a reducing agent. Example: Extraction of Iron from Iron oxide 2Fe2O3 + 3C -> 4Fe + 3CO2 Or in a blast furnace: 2Fe2O3 + 3CO -> 4Fe + 3CO2 Here, carbon and carbon monoxide reduce the iron oxide to iron by removing the oxygen. The oxygen atoms combine with carbon/CO to form CO2,...

Q6: Write the chemical equations for the reaction of Sodium metal with water and dilute hydrochloric acid.

Reaction with Water: 2Na + 2H2O -> 2NaOH + H2 Sodium reacts vigorously with water. The reaction is highly exothermic (releases heat). Sodium floats on water because it is less dense than water. The hydrogen gas produced ignites due to heat, producing a pop sound. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) formed dissolves in water and the solution is alkaline (basic). Reaction with Dilute Hydrochloric Acid: 2Na + 2HCl -> 2NaCl + H2 Sodium reacts violently with dilute HCl. The reaction is even more vigorou...

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