Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of metals?

• A. Good Conductors
• B. Ductile
• C. Malleable
• D. Brittle Solids

Answer: (D)

Metals owe many of their common properties to metallic bonding, where electrons are free to move like a sea around positive ions. That free-moving electron cloud allows metals to conduct heat and electricity efficiently, and it also lets layers of atoms slide past one another when a force is applied, giving metals their malleability and ductility. Because of this bonding, being a good conductor, and being malleable and ductile are typical metal characteristics.

Brittle solids, on the other hand, describe materials that fracture easily without noticeable plastic deformation. That isn’t a general feature of metals; while some metals or specific alloys can behave brittly in certain conditions, metals as a class are not defined by brittleness. Hence, “brittle solids” is not a characteristic that fits metals in the usual sense.