Arsenic is classified as which type of element?

• A. A noble gas
• B. A metal that is non-toxic
• C. A metalloid that is toxic
• D. A synthetic polymer

Answer: (C)

Arsenic sits in the metalloid region of the periodic table, meaning it has properties between metals and nonmetals. Metalloids often appear brittle, can have a metallic look, and behave as semiconductors, showing a mix of metallic and nonmetallic characteristics. Arsenic also has toxic properties, so it’s described as toxic rather than safe or ordinary. It is not a noble gas, which are inert gases like helium and neon; it is not a pure metal, since its behavior and position sit between metals and nonmetals; and it is not a synthetic polymer, which would refer to a large compound made of many repeating units, not to an element itself. So the best classification is a metalloid that is toxic.