The metals are to the left of the line (except for hydrogen, which is a nonmetal), the nonmetals are to the right of the line, and the elements immediately adjacent to the line are the metalloids.

Metalloids usually look like metals but behave largely like nonmetals. Physically, they are shiny, brittle solids with intermediate to relatively good electrical conductivity and the electronic band structure of a semimetal or semiconductor.

4 Properties Of Metalloids

• An appearance that is similar to metals.
• They are less conductive than metal.
• They are more brittle than metals.
• Metalloids have nonmetallic chemical properties in general.

Metalloids are elements which show some properties of metals and some properties of non-metals. Examples: Silicon, boron, arsenic, antimony, germanium, tellurium, polonium.

The p-block elements are found on the right side of the periodic table. They include the boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and flourine families in addition to the noble gases. The noble gases have full p-orbital’s and are nonreactive. p block orbital.

Uses of p-block Elements

• A compound of boron called borax is used in the glass making industry and pottery.
• Boron is also used in the soap or detergent industry.
• Boron is used in aircrafts and bullet proof vests.
• Boron is used in steel to increase its hardness.

The s-block and p-block elements are so called because their valence electrons are in an s orbital or p orbital respectively. They are also called Typical Elements to distinguish them from the transition and inner transition series.

The p-block elements are a very diverse group of elements with a wide range of properties. The p-block contains metal, nonmetal, and metalloid elements. Some of these elements are extremely abundant (oxygen, silicon), some are toxic (lead, arsenic), and some are very useful (tin, aluminum).

The f block elements are the lanthanides and actinides and are called the inner transition elements because of their placement in the periodic table due to their electron configurations. The f orbitals of the electron shell are filled with “n-2.” There is a maximum of fourteen electrons that can occupy the f orbitals.

Helium is gas like other inert gases unlike solid s block metals. Helium is non- metal while s block contains only metals. Helium is much less reactive like other inert gases unlike s block metals which are most reactive. For all such reasons Helium is placed in inert gases group which lies in p block.

The p-block contains groups 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, with the exception of Helium. (Helium is part of the s block.) The principal quantum number “n” fills the p orbital.

According to quite a few books I have read, helium belongs to the p-block with reasoning along the lines of “it’s an inert gas, so let’s clump it together with other noble gases which are in the p-block.”

Helium is a gas. It probably is not very surprising to hear that helium and human beings have almost nothing in common, but we still need each other. He named helium after the source of the discovery, the sun, or helios, since, at the time, no helium had been detected on Earth.