Question

Which of the following is not malleable?
A.Sulphur
B.Selenium
C.Phosphorous
D.All of the above

Answer 1

Hint: Malleability can be understood as a property exhibited by certain substances that helps them to deform under pressure or compressive stress without undergoing breakage. If a given material is malleable, then, it is possible for us to beat the material into thin sheets by employing processes like hammering or rolling.

Complete Step-by-Step Answer:
Before we move forward with the solution of this question, let us understand some important basic concepts.
The substances that exhibit this property of malleability are often metals. Metals which are malleable in nature, also exhibit the property of ductility, which means the ability of the material to be drawn into thin wires.
The property of malleability is often observed in the elements present in groups from 1 to 12 in the periodic table. Some examples of malleable metals are gold, iron, silver, etc.
While metals show the property of being malleable, non – metals do not exhibit this property. If a non – metallic substance is made to undergo compressive stress or is hammered, it will break into pieces. Malleable metals have the ability to twist and bend in different shapes, while non - metals cannot simply do that. Non – metals are usually brittle in nature, and hence cannot withstand external forces.
The options that are given to us are sulphur, selenium and phosphorus. All of these elements are non – metals and hence do not exhibit the property of malleability.
Hence, Option D is the correct option

Note: Even though malleability is a common characteristic feature of metals, it is not exhibited by all metals. Certain metals like zinc, arsenic, mercury, antimony are non – malleable in nature.