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By Swati Singh
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Updated on 21 Feb 2026, 11:54 IST
You can find CBSE Class 10 Science MCQs for Chapter 3, Metals and Non-Metals, here for practice. These MCQs are part of the board exam to assess students’ understanding and reasoning abilities. While MCQs may seem easy, students need to have a strong grasp of the concepts to answer them correctly. We’ve provided a set of MCQs for Chapter 3 on Metals and Non-Metals in the PDF below. Students can also access MCQs from other chapters of CBSE Class 10 Science to enhance their exam preparation.
Along with the MCQs, we’ve included the answers to each question. It’s recommended that students practice these MCQs thoroughly before their board exams. This will help clear any confusion and strengthen their understanding of the Metals and Non-Metals chapter and the type of MCQs they might face in the exam. Additionally, students should work on CBSE Class 10 Science Sample Papers and previous years' question papers to get familiar with the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Below, we’ve listed 17 MCQs on CBSE Class 10 Metals and Non-Metals. Students should treat these as sample questions to boost their exam readiness.
Download the CBSE Class 10 Science Chapter 3 PDF to access all the important MCQs and solutions. This PDF will help you strengthen your understanding of Metals and Non-Metals for the upcoming exams.
1. What is the main characteristic of metals?
A) They are non-lustrous
B) They are good conductors of electricity
C) They are brittle
D) They are poor conductors of heat
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Answer: B) They are good conductors of electricity
Metals are excellent conductors of both electricity and heat.
2. Which of the following is a property of non-metals?
A) Malleability
B) Ductility
C) High melting points
D) Brittle in solid state
Answer: D) Brittle in solid state
Non-metals are brittle in the solid state and do not exhibit malleability or ductility.
3. Which metal is liquid at room temperature?
A) Mercury
B) Iron
C) Sodium
D) Copper
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Answer: A) Mercury
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.
4. Which of the following non-metal is used in the manufacture of fertilizers?
A) Oxygen
B) Nitrogen
C) Hydrogen
D) Chlorine
Answer: B) Nitrogen
Nitrogen is used in fertilizers, especially as ammonium nitrate or urea.
5. Which of the following metals is highly reactive and is stored in kerosene?
A) Gold
B) Sodium
C) Copper
D) Zinc
Answer: B) Sodium
Sodium is highly reactive and is stored in kerosene to prevent it from reacting with moisture in the air.
6. What is the property of metals that allows them to be drawn into wires?
A) Malleability
B) Ductility
C) Conductivity
D) Sonority
Answer: B) Ductility
Metals can be drawn into thin wires because of their ductility.
7. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of non-metals?
A) Poor conductor of heat
B) Low melting points
C) Malleable
D) Non-sonorous
Answer: C) Malleable
Non-metals are not malleable; they are usually brittle in nature.
8. Which metal does not react with water under normal conditions?
A) Iron
B) Calcium
C) Magnesium
D) Gold
Answer: D) Gold
Gold is a very unreactive metal and does not react with water under normal conditions.
9. Which of the following non-metals is essential for respiration?
A) Carbon
B) Oxygen
C) Nitrogen
D) Hydrogen
Answer: B) Oxygen
Oxygen is essential for respiration in animals and humans.
10. What is the chemical formula of sodium hydroxide?
A) NaOH
B) NaCl
C) Na2SO4
D) Na2CO3
Answer: A) NaOH
The chemical formula of sodium hydroxide is NaOH.
11. What happens when an active metal like sodium reacts with water?
A) No reaction
B) Formation of an oxide
C) Formation of hydrogen gas
D) Formation of salt only
Answer: C) Formation of hydrogen gas
When sodium reacts with water, hydrogen gas is produced, and a base (NaOH) is formed.
12. Which of the following metals is used in making alloys?
A) Gold
B) Aluminum
C) Sodium
D) Mercury
Answer: B) Aluminum
Aluminum is used in making alloys like duralumin, which is widely used in the aviation industry.
13. Which of these elements is most likely to form a cation?
A) Non-metals
B) Metalloids
C) Metals
D) Noble gases
Answer: C) Metals
Metals tend to lose electrons and form cations, such as Na⁺ and Ca²⁺.
14. What is the color of the flame when copper burns in air?
A) Red
B) Green
C) Blue
D) Yellow
Answer: B) Green
When copper burns in air, it produces a green flame.
15. What type of bonding is found in metals?
A) Ionic bonding
B) Covalent bonding
C) Metallic bonding
D) Hydrogen bonding
Answer: C) Metallic bonding
Metals exhibit metallic bonding, where electrons are free to move throughout the metal.
16. Which of the following metals reacts with water to form hydrogen gas?
A) Gold
B) Sodium
C) Iron
D) Lead
Answer: B) Sodium
Sodium reacts with water to form hydrogen gas and sodium hydroxide.
17. Which non-metal is commonly used in light bulbs?
A) Nitrogen
B) Helium
C) Carbon
D) Oxygen
Answer: C) Carbon
Carbon (in the form of a filament) is commonly used in incandescent light bulbs.
18. Which of the following is an example of an alloy?
A) Iron
B) Brass
C) Copper
D) Zinc
Answer: B) Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.
19. Which of these elements is a noble gas?
A) Neon
B) Nitrogen
C) Oxygen
D) Chlorine
Answer: A) Neon
Neon is a noble gas.
20. Which non-metal is used to disinfect drinking water?
A) Oxygen
B) Chlorine
C) Nitrogen
D) Hydrogen
Answer: B) Chlorine
Chlorine is used to disinfect drinking water and kill bacteria.
21. What happens when zinc reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid?
A) Hydrogen gas is produced
B) Chlorine gas is produced
C) Zinc oxide is formed
D) No reaction
Answer: A) Hydrogen gas is produced
Zinc reacts with dilute hydrochloric acid to form zinc chloride and hydrogen gas.
22. Which of the following is a property of non-metals?
A) High malleability
B) High conductivity
C) Low melting point
D) Sonorous
Answer: C) Low melting point
Non-metals usually have lower melting points compared to metals.
23. Which metal is extracted from bauxite?
A) Iron
B) Aluminum
C) Copper
D) Zinc
Answer: B) Aluminum
Aluminum is extracted from bauxite ore.
24. What is the color of chlorine gas?
A) Greenish-yellow
B) Red
C) Blue
D) Colorless
Answer: A) Greenish-yellow
Chlorine gas is greenish-yellow in color.
25. Which of the following is a good conductor of electricity?
A) Rubber
B) Wood
C) Copper
D) Glass
Answer: C) Copper
Copper is an excellent conductor of electricity.
26. Which property of metals is used in making cooking utensils?
A) Malleability
B) Sonority
C) Ductility
D) High melting point
Answer: A) Malleability
Metals are malleable, which allows them to be shaped into various forms, such as cooking utensils.
27. Which of the following non-metals is used in the production of fertilizers?
A) Sulfur
B) Phosphorus
C) Nitrogen
D) Oxygen
Answer: C) Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a key ingredient in fertilizers, such as ammonium nitrate.
28. Which of these metals is used in making electrical wires?
A) Zinc
B) Copper
C) Silver
D) Lead
Answer: B) Copper
Copper is widely used for making electrical wires due to its high conductivity.
29. Which non-metal is a good conductor of electricity?
A) Sulfur
B) Nitrogen
C) Graphite
D) Oxygen
Answer: C) Graphite
Graphite, a non-metal, is a good conductor of electricity because of its structure.
30. Which of these metals is the least reactive?
A) Sodium
B) Magnesium
C) Iron
D) Gold
Answer: D) Gold
Gold is one of the least reactive metals.
31. Which metal is commonly used in making jewelry?
A) Iron
B) Silver
C) Lead
D) Zinc
Answer: B) Silver
Silver is commonly used in making jewelry.
32. Which of the following metals is found in nature in its pure form?
A) Copper
B) Gold
C) Iron
D) Zinc
Answer: B) Gold
Gold is often found in its pure, elemental form in nature.
33. What happens when metals are exposed to air over time?
A) They become smoother
B) They rust or corrode
C) They get sharper
D) They become more ductile
Answer: B) They rust or corrode
When metals like iron are exposed to air and moisture, they undergo corrosion or rusting.
34. What is the main reason that metals are used in electrical circuits?
A) They are non-reactive
B) They are good conductors of electricity
C) They are light in weight
D) They are brittle
Answer: B) They are good conductors of electricity
Metals are excellent conductors of electricity, which is why they are used in electrical wiring.
35. Which of the following metals reacts slowly with oxygen in the air?
A) Zinc
B) Copper
C) Magnesium
D) Sodium
Answer: B) Copper
Copper reacts slowly with oxygen in the air to form a greenish coating called patina (copper oxide).
36. Which property of metals is responsible for their ability to form alloys?
A) Malleability
B) Conductivity
C) High melting points
D) Ductility
Answer: A) Malleability
Metals can be alloyed with other metals because they are malleable and can be mixed to form new materials.
37. Which of these is an example of an amphoteric oxide?
A) Zinc oxide
B) Carbon dioxide
C) Nitrogen dioxide
D) Sodium oxide
Answer: A) Zinc oxide
Zinc oxide is an amphoteric oxide, meaning it can react with both acids and bases.
38. Which of the following non-metals is used in making explosives?
A) Nitrogen
B) Oxygen
C) Phosphorus
D) Carbon
Answer: C) Phosphorus
Phosphorus is used in the manufacture of explosives like TNT.
39. Which of these metals is used to make the outer covering of spacecraft?
A) Copper
B) Iron
C) Aluminum
D) Zinc
Answer: C) Aluminum
Aluminum is used in spacecraft construction due to its low weight and high strength.
40. Which of the following is an example of a noble metal?
A) Copper
B) Gold
C) Iron
D) Zinc
Answer: B) Gold
Gold is a noble metal, which means it is resistant to corrosion and oxidation.
41. Which non-metal is used in the production of batteries?
A) Carbon
B) Nitrogen
C) Oxygen
D) Hydrogen
Answer: A) Carbon
Carbon is used as an electrode in many types of batteries, such as dry cells.
42. What is the product of the reaction between sodium and chlorine?
A) Sodium oxide
B) Sodium chloride
C) Sodium hydroxide
D) Sodium bicarbonate
Answer: B) Sodium chloride
Sodium reacts with chlorine to form sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt.
43. Which of the following metals is used to galvanize iron?
A) Zinc
B) Copper
C) Lead
D) Aluminum
Answer: A) Zinc
Zinc is used to coat iron in a process called galvanization, which protects it from rusting.
44. Which of the following non-metals is used to disinfect drinking water?
A) Oxygen
B) Chlorine
C) Nitrogen
D) Hydrogen
Answer: B) Chlorine
Chlorine is used to disinfect drinking water and kill bacteria.
45. What happens when copper reacts with sulfur?
A) Copper sulfate is formed
B) Copper oxide is formed
C) Copper chloride is formed
D) No reaction
Answer: A) Copper sulfate is formed
Copper reacts with sulfur to form copper sulfate (CuSO₄).
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Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity, are malleable, and have high melting points. Non-metals are poor conductors, usually brittle, and have lower melting points.
Metals are good conductors of electricity because they have free-moving electrons that allow electric current to pass through easily.
Aluminum is lightweight yet strong, making it ideal for aircraft construction. It also has resistance to corrosion, which adds to its durability.
Alloys are a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and a non-metal. An example is brass, which is a mixture of copper and zinc.
Rust forms when iron reacts with oxygen and moisture in the air, forming iron oxide (Fe₂O₃), which weakens the metal over time.
An amphoteric oxide can react with both acids and bases. For example, zinc oxide (ZnO) is amphoteric.
Copper is used for electrical wiring due to its high conductivity, while aluminum is used in the construction of aircraft and packaging materials due to its light weight and strength.
Non-metals are typically brittle in solid form, poor conductors of heat and electricity, and have lower melting and boiling points compared to metals.