Task: Question Generation
Input (English): Metalloids are the smallest class of elements. (The other two classes of elements are metals and nonmetals). There are just six metalloids. In addition to silicon, they include boron, germanium, arsenic, antimony, and tellurium. Metalloids fall between metals and nonmetals in the periodic table. They also fall between metals and nonmetals in terms of their properties. Q: How does the position of an element in the periodic table influence its properties? A: Elements are arranged in the periodic table by their atomic number, which is the number of protons in their atoms. Atoms are neutral in electric charge, so they always have the same number of electrons as protons. It is the number of electrons in the outer energy level of atoms that determines most of the properties of elements. How metalloids behave in chemical interactions with other elements depends mainly on the number of electrons in the outer energy level of their atoms. Metalloids have from three to six electrons in their outer energy level. Boron, pictured in the Figure 1.1, is the only metalloid with just three electrons in its outer energy level. It tends to act like metals by giving up its electrons in chemical reactions. Metalloids with more than four electrons in their outer energy level (arsenic, antimony, and tellurium) tend to act like nonmetals by gaining electrons in chemical reactions. Those with exactly four electrons in their outer energy level (silicon and germanium) may act like either metals or nonmetals, depending on the other elements in the reaction. Most metalloids have some physical properties of metals and some physical properties of nonmetals. For example, metals are good conductors of both heat and electricity, whereas nonmetals generally cannot conduct heat or electricity. And metalloids? They fall between metals and nonmetals in their ability to conduct heat, and if they can conduct electricity, they usually can do so only at higher temperatures. Metalloids that can conduct electricity at higher temperatures are called semiconductors. Silicon is an example of a semiconductor. It is used to make the tiny electric circuits in computer chips. You can see a sample of silicon and a silicon chip in the Figure 1.2. Metalloids tend to be shiny like metals but brittle like nonmetals. Because they are brittle, they may chip like glass or crumble to a powder if struck. Other physical properties of metalloids are more variable, including their boiling and melting points, although all metalloids exist as solids at room temperature. Click image to the left or use the URL below. URL:
Output (English): metalloids are generally