NCERT Solutions Curiosity Chapter 4 Activity 4.8: Let us explore — Substances that Behave Differently from Metals in Air and Water

Book page 53 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.

Does sulfur behave in water the same way metals do?

Answer

No. Iron sitting in water with air around it slowly turns to rust; sulfur left in water does nothing at all.

Substance	Kept in water and air for days	Result
Iron (metal)	Nail half dipped in water, bottle open	Brown deposit — rust forms
Sulfur (non-metal)	Powder added to water in a tumbler	No reaction at all

Generally, non-metals do not react with water.

Q2.

Take some sulfur powder in a glass tumbler. Add a small amount of water to it. What do you observe?

Answer

There is no reaction. The pale yellow sulfur powder simply sits in the water — it does not dissolve, no gas bubbles out, there is no colour change, and the tumbler does not become warm.

Sulfur + water → no change
Non-metals generally do not react with water.

Why it matters: this is the point of the whole section. Sulfur and phosphorus behave differently from metals with air and water. They are usually soft and dull in appearance, neither malleable nor ductile, not sonorous and poor conductors of heat and electricity. Such substances are called non-metals, and their oxides are acidic.

Did you know? Not every non-metal ignores water. Phosphorus is stored in water, because it catches fire the moment it is exposed to atmospheric air — the exact opposite of sodium, which is a metal kept in kerosene to keep water away from it.

Was this helpful? Report an error