Question

Discussing this chapter, a classmate says, “Since elements that form cations are metals and elements that form anions are nonmetals, elements that do not form ions are metalloids.”Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.

Answer 1

Disagree.

Metals lose elections to go cations.

Non-metals gain elections to form anions.

But metalloids can either gain or lose electrons. They have the properties of both metals and non metals.

 

Explanation

Generally the metalloids do not form ions because most of them have high ionization energies and low electron affinities allowing them to form covalent bonds instead (sharing instead of taking) . The fact that they do have ionization energies though, tells you that they can form ions.

Disagree.

Metals lose elections to go cations.

Non-metals gain elections to form anions.