Which one of the following pairs of metals constitutes the lightest metal and the heaviest metal, respectively?
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UPSC Civil Services preparation
- ALithium and mercury
- BLithium and osmiumCorrect
- CAluminium and osmium
- DAluminium and mercury
Explanation
The correct answer is B because lithium has the lowest density of all solid elements, making it the lightest metal. It has an atomic number of 3 and is so light that it can float on water. On the other hand, osmium is a transition metal with the highest density of all naturally occurring elements, making it the heaviest metal. While mercury is a heavy liquid metal and aluminium is a lightweight structural metal, neither holds the absolute record for density or lack thereof when compared to lithium and osmium.
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