Answer :
Final answer:
Elements on the periodic table are classified as metals, nonmetals, or metalloids based on their physical properties and conductive abilities. Main-group elements, transition metals, and inner transition metals are distinguished by their placement within the periodic table's structure. The correct option is 2) metalloid.
Explanation:
Every element on the periodic table can be classified as either a metal, a nonmetal, or a metalloid. Metals are elements that are shiny, generally silvery in color, highly conductive of electricity and heat, malleable, and ductile. Nonmetals, by contrast, are usually dull in appearance and poor conductors of electricity and heat, often brittle when solid. Metalloids, or semi-metals, have properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals. Metals occupy the left and middle sections of the periodic table whereas nonmetals are located mainly in the upper right corner, and metalloids border the dividing line between metals and nonmetals.
