What are Metalloids?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

Metalloids are the elements which show the properties of both non metals and metals. Polonium, Tellurium, Antimony, Germanium and Silicon are the examples of metalloids.

Metalloids

Chemical elements that fall into the metal and non-metal categories in terms of their physical and chemical characteristics are known as metalloids. The seven most popular metalloids are boron, germanium, silicon, antimony, arsenic, tellurium, and pollanium. These substances typically act chemically as non-metals. Metallic alloys can be created by metalloid species. The metalloid elements often have intermediate-level physical and chemical characteristics. These materials are typically quite delicate and don’t have many structural uses because of this.

Table of content

1. What are Metalloids?

General Properties –

Metalloids usually have a metallic appearance. However, these substances frequently act in a non-metallic manner.
Physically, metalloids are solid at room temperature, brittle, and rather glossy solids.
These substances typically exhibit moderate to strong electrical conductivity.
Electronic band structures of metaloids are reported to resemble those of semimetals or semiconductors.
These elements typically behave chemically as non-metals (in a weak way). They typically have intermediate ionisation energies and electronegativity values.
It is known that metalloid oxides can generate amphoteric or weakly acidic oxides.
These substances can combine to create metallic alloys.
In essence, many of the other chemical and physical characteristics of metalloids are intermediate.

Examples

Silicon (Si)
Germanium (Ge)
Antimony (Sb)
Tellurium(Te)
Polonium(Po)

Summary:-