Question

The most malleable metal is
(A). Copper
(B). Silver
(C). Gold
(D). Iron

Answer 1

- Hint: Malleable is something that is easily modifiable in its structure by some external pressure.

Complete step-by-step solution -

Some materials have a characteristic of malleability that makes them change their original structure under some pressure. These are the materials that can be converted into thin sheets by hammering them or by rolling them with stress. Of all materials that exist on earth, the one which has got the most malleability property is metals. Even among these metals, the malleability characteristic varies from one metal to another metal.
A few examples of the most malleable metals are silver, aluminium, tin, platinum, zinc, iron, lead, copper, nickel and gold. Among these, gold is said to be more malleable. The basic measure of gold is grams (gm). A gram of gold can be deformed into thin sheets whose area will be around 1 square meter. These sheets will be so thin that they become translucent which means they become semi-transparent. Hence, this property of gold has made it so much useful and costlier that it is worn as a jewellery and even used as a shielding agent for poisonous radiations.
Hence, the most malleable metal is Gold.

Additional Information:
The metals that are malleable are also ductile in nature. Ductility means stretching or pulling a material into thin wires before it is breakable. The most ductile metals are gold, silver, platinum, iron, nickel, copper, aluminium, zinc, tin and lead.

Note:- The metals that are malleable are also ductile. Malleability is hammering into sheets and ductility is stretching into thin wires.
Gold is the most malleable and ductile metals. Nickel is the least malleable.