Metalloids are elements that share properties of both metals and nonmetals, including boron, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, germanium, and silicon. Some, like silicon, are important in electronics, while others, like arsenic, are used as doping agents. Nonmetals are solid and have different properties from both metals and metalloids.
Metalloids is a chemical term used to describe a group of chemical elements that share some of the physical and chemical properties of metals, such as iron and copper, but cannot be classified as metals because they also share some of the properties of nonmetallic elements, such as carbon and sulfur. The metalloids are usually said to consist of boron, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, germanium and silicon. Sometimes polonium and astatine are also included, but there is scientific debate as to whether they are true metalloids. These elements often have a brittle, lustrous appearance, but there is no rigorous definition of the properties and characteristics required to define an element as a nonmetal. The term semimetals is also sometimes used to refer to nonmetal elements, but this term includes not only chemical elements, but also compounds composed of multiple elements.
All nonmetals are solid under normal pressure and temperature, and some of the characteristics of nonmetals, such as having a luster or luster, are similar to those of metallic elements. However, the properties of nonmetals such as their ionization energy, electronegativity, and chemical reactivity differ from both nonmetallic and metallic elements in the periodic table. For example, the chemical reactivity of boron is like that of a metal in some cases and like that of a nonmetal in other cases, depending on the material it is reacting with.
Metalloids vary in density and at what temperature they boil or melt. Many of the non-metal elements are semiconductors, which means they can carry an electric charge. Boron, silicon and germanium are semiconductors that are used in the production of electronics, for example to make transistors, diodes and solar batteries. Silicon is a semiconductor material that is particularly important in the production of computer components such as computer chips. Silicon is also used in products as diverse as hair sprays, adhesives, and automotive polishes.
Other metalloids are also used for various scientific and industrial purposes. Germanium is used in the production of transistor elements and to make infrared spectroscopes and detectors. Arsenic is well known as a poisonous substance, but it can also be used as a doping agent, which means it is added to semiconductors to improve their conductivity. Antimony is another doping agent and is also used in the production of accumulators. Tellurium is often used to modify the properties of various metals and alloys, such as copper or stainless steel, and is also used in the production of colored glass and ceramics.
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