Class X Chemistry Revision - Metals and Non-Metals

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts, definitions, reaction types, and chemical properties from Class X CBSE Chemistry Priority-I revision notes.

Metal

An electropositive element that tends to lose electrons to form positive ions; major metallic elements in the Earth's crust are ranked in decreasing order of abundance (e.g., aluminium, followed by iron and calcium).

Non-metal

An electronegative element that tends to gain or share electrons in chemical reactions; oxygen and silicon represent the most abundant non-metallic elements present in the Earth's crust.

Storage of Potassium in Kerosene

The preservation technique of keeping potassium immersed in kerosene oil to prevent it from reacting violently and catching fire upon exposure to atmospheric oxygen and moisture.

Jewellery Metals (Gold and Silver)

Metals situated at the bottom of the reactivity series that are highly lustrous, malleable, ductile, and chemically unreactive, making them corrosion-resistant and ideal for jewellery.

Reactivity Series of Metals

A vertical arrangement of metals in decreasing order of their chemical reactivity.

Aqua Regia

A freshly prepared corrosive mixture of concentrated hydrochloric acid ($HCl$) and concentrated nitric acid ($HNO_3$) in a $3:1$ ratio by volume, used to dissolve noble metals such as gold and platinum.

Reaction of Iron with Steam

The high-temperature chemical reaction represented by the balanced equation $3Fe(s) + 4H_2O(g) \rightarrow Fe_3O_4(s) + 4H_2(g)$.

Reaction of Calcium with Water

The reaction represented by the equation $Ca(s) + 2H_2O(l) \rightarrow Ca(OH)_2(aq) + H_2(g)$, in which calcium reacts less violently and floats because hydrogen gas bubbles stick to its surface.

Reaction of Potassium with Water

An extremely violent, exothermic reaction represented by $2K(s) + 2H_2O(l) \rightarrow 2KOH(aq) + H_2(g)$, producing hydrogen gas that instantly catches fire.

Free State Metal

A metal with very low reactivity (such as gold or platinum) found uncombined in nature in the Earth's crust, located at the bottom of the reactivity series.

Combined State Metal

A reactive or moderately reactive metal (such as aluminium or iron) found in the Earth's crust in the form of mineral compounds like oxides, sulphides, or carbonates.

Hydrogen Gas Pop Test

A confirmatory identification test where bringing a burning matchstick or splinter near the evolved gas results in a distinct 'pop' sound as the hydrogen burns.

Amphoteric Oxide

A metallic oxide, such as zinc oxide ($ZnO$), that reacts with both acids and bases to form salt and water.

Nitric Acid Reaction Anomaly

The chemical phenomenon where hydrogen gas is not typically evolved when metals react with nitric acid ($HNO_3$), because $HNO_3$ is a strong oxidizing agent that oxidizes $H_2$ to $H_2O$ and is itself reduced to oxides of nitrogen.