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A chemist is trying to identify a sample of metal that is listed in this table. She passes an electrical current through the sample and finds that, of the metals listed in the table, it's one of the best conductors. Then she heats the metal to [tex]$1000^{\circ} C$[/tex], which is the highest temperature her heater allows. The metal doesn't melt. Which type of metal does the chemist have?

\begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|}
\hline Material & Melting Point [tex]$\left({ }^{\circ} C \right)$[/tex] & Electrical Conductivity Ranking \\
\hline aluminum & 660 & 3 \\
\hline copper & 1085 & 2 \\
\hline zinc & 420 & 4 \\
\hline silver & 962 & 1 \\
\hline nickel & 1455 & 5 \\
\hline
\end{tabular}

A. aluminum

B. copper

C. zinc

D. silver

E. nickel



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
To determine which metal the chemist has, we need to consider the following key pieces of information provided:

1. The metal is one of the best conductors from the table, so we need to look at the electrical conductivity ranking.
2. When heated to \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\), the metal did not melt. Therefore, its melting point must be higher than \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\).

Now, we will analyze the metals listed in the table:

1. Aluminum
- Melting Point: \(660^{\circ} \text{C}\)
- Electrical Conductivity Ranking: 3
- Analysis: Aluminum has a melting point below \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\), so it would have melted. This cannot be the metal.

2. Copper
- Melting Point: \(1085^{\circ} \text{C}\)
- Electrical Conductivity Ranking: 2
- Analysis: Copper has a melting point above \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\) and a good conductivity ranking (2). This fits the criteria.

3. Zinc
- Melting Point: \(420^{\circ} \text{C}\)
- Electrical Conductivity Ranking: 4
- Analysis: Zinc has a melting point well below \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\), so it would have melted. This cannot be the metal.

4. Silver
- Melting Point: \(962^{\circ} \text{C}\)
- Electrical Conductivity Ranking: 1
- Analysis: Silver has the best conductivity ranking (1), but its melting point is below \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\). Thus, it would have melted. This cannot be the metal.

5. Nickel
- Melting Point: \(1455^{\circ} \text{C}\)
- Electrical Conductivity Ranking: 5
- Analysis: Nickel has a melting point above \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\), but its conductivity ranking (5) is not among the best. This cannot be the metal.

From this analysis, the only metal that meets the criteria of having one of the best conductivity rankings and not melting at \(1000^{\circ} \text{C}\) is copper.

Therefore, the correct answer is:

B. copper

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