How do you tell if a mineral is metallic or non-metallic?

Answer 1

only non metals are acidic, covalent bonding only occurs between nonmetals, metallic bonding between metals. If it is shiny it is most likely a metal except unless it is a diamond or silicon. Also you can tell on the Periodic Table

Answer 2

Basically just by looking at it. Is the mineral shiny and reflective? Then it's metallic. Is it more dull and not really reflective? Then it's non-metallic. Of course, it can be trickier than it sounds, but practice makes perfect.

Answer 3

metallic elements encompass group 1 and 2 as well as the entire d-block, f-block and all elements below Boron, Germanium, Antimony, Tellurium and Astatine on the periodic table.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periodic_table

Answer 4

metallic elements have the tendency to lose their electrons

non metallic in contrast can gain electrons

metallic elements are placed in very earlier groups of periodic table.

non metallic elements in contrast have been placed far in periodic table.

Answer 5

the closer the elements are to element Fr (bottom left of periodic table) the more metallic that element is.

Answer 6

you can tell just by looking at it, if it looks shiny like metal then it metallic if it doesn't then it nonmetallic, but it can be tricky with mica.

Answer 7

It is impossible to tell just by looking at the element but you would need to look at a periodic table