Which category of elements are good conductors of heat and electricity and tend to lose electrons to form cations?

• A. Metals
• B. Nonmetals
• C. Metalloids
• D. Covalent

Answer: (A)

Metals have electrons that are not bound to a single atom but move freely in a lattice, creating a sea of delocalized electrons. This freely moving electron cloud lets electric current flow easily and also transfers kinetic energy quickly, so metals are good conductors of both electricity and heat. Because these outer electrons are relatively loosely held, metal atoms tend to lose electrons and form positively charged ions, or cations, when they react. Nonmetals usually gain electrons to form anions and don’t conduct as well in the solid state; metalloids sit between metals and nonmetals in properties, and covalent describes how atoms bond by sharing electrons rather than reflecting a single element category.