MCQ Detailed View

The property of metals that allows them to be beaten into thin sheets is called malleability. It is a physical property that shows how a material responds to hammering or rolling without breaking. Malleability is especially important in shaping metals for different industrial and commercial uses.

Metals like gold, silver, aluminum, copper, and iron are highly malleable. For example, gold is so malleable that it can be hammered into sheets so thin that they are used for decorative purposes and even in electronics. Aluminum foil, used in kitchens, is also a result of this property.

When a metal is struck with a hammer or rolled between heavy rollers, its atoms shift positions without breaking the structure. This allows the metal to flatten out into thin sheets. The more easily a metal can do this, the more malleable it is.

Let’s break down the options:

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  Option A: Ductility is a related but different property. It is the ability of metals to be drawn into wires, not sheets.

  
  


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  Option B: Malleability is correct — it refers specifically to the formation of thin sheets.

  
  


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  Option C: Conductivity refers to how well a material allows electricity or heat to pass through it.

  
  


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  Option D: Density is the measure of mass per unit volume and is unrelated to shaping materials.

  
  

In summary, malleability is a defining characteristic of metals and plays a key role in industries like manufacturing, construction, jewelry making, and electronics. This concept belongs to Chemistry and helps explain the useful behavior of metals when pressure is applied.

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