The metal that has very low melting point and its periodic position is closer to a metalloid is:
Classification of Elements & Periodicity · Class 11 · JEE Main Previous Year Question
The metal that has very low melting point and its periodic position is closer to a metalloid is:
- a
Al
- b✓
Ga
- c
Se
- d
In
Ga
🧠 Gallium melts at about 30 °C and sits right next to germanium (a metalloid) The question wants two boxes ticked at once: a very low melting point AND periodic-table position close to a metalloid. Only one element fits both.
🗺️ Check each option Al: melting point . Far too high. Reject. Ga: melting point — melts in your palm. And Ga sits right beside Ge, a recognized metalloid. Both conditions satisfied. Se: not a metal at all — it is a non-metal. Reject. In: melting point — low for a metal but not "very low" like Ga. Also, In is not adjacent to a metalloid the way Ga is. Reject.
⚠️ The trap Don't confuse Ga with In. Both are Group 13 metals with relatively low melting points, but Ga's is the famous one. The "melts in your hand" demo is always Gallium, never Indium. Ga is also the one that sits next to Ge on the staircase, so it ticks both criteria.
Practice this question with progress tracking
Want timed practice with adaptive difficulty? Solve this question (and hundreds more from Classification of Elements & Periodicity) inside The Crucible, our adaptive practice platform.
More JEE Main Classification of Elements & Periodicity PYQs
An element 'E' has the ionisation enthalpy value of 374 kJ mol-1. 'E' reacts with elements A, B, C and D with electron gain enthalpy values of -328, -349, -325 and -295 kJ mol-1, respectively. The…
The type of oxide formed by the element among Li, Na, Be, Mg, B and Al that has the least atomic radius is:
Which one of the following elements will remain as liquid inside pure boiling water?
The correct order of metallic character is:
Which of the following is a metalloid?