Metals Non-metals
Experiment:
To show that metals have high melting point.
Materials Required: Copper or aluminium wire, stand, clamp, Bunsen burner
Procedure:
- Fix the copper wire in horizontal position with the help of stand and clamp.
- Fix a nail with the help of wax below the wire at far end.
- Put the Bunsen burner below the wire.
- Heat the wire.

Observation: The metal wire becomes very hot; as can be shown by the falling of nail.
Conclusion: Metals have high melting point.
Experiment
To show the nature of metallic oxide and non-metallic oxide.
Materials Required: Magnesium ribbon, sulphur powder, tongs, gas jar, litmus paper, etc.
Procedure:
- Hold the magnesium ribbon with tongs, and burn the magnesium ribbon in air.
- Collect the ashes produced on burning the magnesium ribbon.
- Mix the ash in water and test with blue and red litmus paper.
Observation: There is no effect on blue litmus paper, but red litmus paper turns blue when it is dipped in aqueous solution of magnesium oxide.
Conclusion: Magnesium oxide is basic in nature. This means that metal oxides are basic in nature.
Procedure for Sulphur Powder:
- Take sulphur powder in a China dish, and burn the powder.
- Collect the fumes in a gas jar.
- Introduce wet litmus papers in the gas jar.
Observation: Blue litmus paper turns red in presence of sulphur dioxide.
Conclusion: Non-metallic oxides are acidic in nature.
Experiment:
To show displacement reaction
Materials Required: Test tubes, copper sulphate solution, iron sulphate solution, copper wire, iron nail, corks, test tube stand
Procedure:

- Fill a test tube with copper sulphate solution, and fill another test tube with iron sulphate solution.
- With the help of a thread, suspend the iron nail in test tube which has copper sulphate solution.
- With the help of a thread, suspend the copper wire in test tube which has iron sulphate solution.
- Close the mouth of test tubes with cork, and put test tubes in test tube stand.
Observation: The colour of copper sulphate fades away and iron nail acquires a brown deposit. No change is observed in the test tube which has iron sulphate solution.
Conclusion: Iron displaces copper from copper sulphate solution. But copper is unable to displace iron from iron sulphate solution. This happens because iron is more reactive than copper.
Experiment:
To show metal's reaction with dilute acid
Materials Required: Test tube, water bath, cork, stand, clamp, dilute sulphuric acid, zinc granules
Procedure:
- Fix the test tube with stand and clamp. Insert a delivery tube in a cork, and take a water bath.
- Take some zinc granules in the test tube.
- Pour about 5 ml dilute sulphuric acid over zinc granules.
- Just after pouring the acid, close the mouth of the test tube with cork; as shown in the given figure.
Observation: Effervescence can be seen in test tube. This shows some chemical reaction taking place. Bubbles can be seen coming from water bath; which shows that some gas is evolving.
Check the nature of gas: Bring a burning matchstick near the bubbles. You will observe that the matchstick burns with a pop sound. This indicates that the evolved gas is hydrogen gas.
Conclusion: When a metal reacts with dilute acid, metal salt and hydrogen gas is formed.
REF: All figures on this page are taken from NCERT text book for Class 10 Science