In terms of malleability, which of the following substances can be beaten and converted into thin sheets without breaking?

Introduction / Context:
One of the most important physical properties that distinguishes metals from non metals is malleability. Malleable materials can be hammered or beaten into thin sheets without cracking or breaking. This property is widely used in making metal foils, sheets, and cookware. The question asks you to identify, among the given options, which substance can be beaten into thin sheets, which is another way of asking which one is malleable.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The options include zinc, phosphorus, sulphur, oxygen, and carbon in the form of graphite.
• We assume ordinary conditions of temperature and pressure.
• The question targets a basic recall of metal versus non metal properties.

Concept / Approach:
Malleability is the ability of a material to deform under compressive stress, such as hammering or rolling, and form thin sheets. Most metals display malleability because of their metallic bonding, where positive metal ions are held in a lattice surrounded by a sea of delocalised electrons. When stress is applied, layers of atoms can slide without breaking the metallic bond network. Non metals, on the other hand, often have directional covalent bonds or molecular structures that make them brittle or non solid at room temperature. Among the options, zinc is a metal and therefore malleable, while phosphorus, sulphur, oxygen, and graphite do not exhibit the required sheet forming malleability in basic school examples.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify which of the listed substances are metals and which are non metals. Step 2: Zinc is a metal in the d block of the periodic table and is commonly used in galvanisation and alloys. Step 3: Phosphorus and sulphur are non metals that exist as brittle solids under normal conditions. Step 4: Oxygen is a non metal gas at room temperature, so it cannot be beaten into sheets at all. Step 5: Graphite is a form of carbon that is soft and can be cleaved into flakes, but it does not behave as a malleable metal sheet forming material in basic contexts. Step 6: Conclude that zinc is the only option that can be beaten into thin sheets due to its metallic malleability.

Verification / Alternative check:
Common malleable metals include gold, silver, copper, aluminium, and zinc. Zinc is used in roofing sheets and galvanised iron coatings, which confirms that it can be rolled or formed into thin layers. In contrast, phosphorus and sulphur tend to shatter or crumble when struck, which shows lack of malleability. Oxygen, as a gas, obviously cannot form sheets, and graphite is used for pencils and lubricants, not as a metal sheet material. These everyday uses support the classification of zinc as the malleable substance among the choices.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Phosphorus: It is a non metal that exists as molecular solids such as white and red phosphorus; these forms are brittle and will not form metal like sheets under hammering.
- Sulphur: Another non metal that forms yellow crystals; when struck it shatters rather than spreading into a sheet.
- Oxygen: A diatomic gas at room temperature that cannot be shaped into solid sheets by beating.
- Carbon (graphite): Although it is soft and can be split along layers, graphite does not exhibit true metallic malleability and breaks into flakes and powder rather than forming continuous thin sheets.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may confuse softness with malleability. For example, graphite is soft, but that softness is due to weak forces between layers, so it flakes rather than spreads into a uniform sheet. Another mistake is to overlook the physical state of the substance: gases like oxygen and brittle solids like sulphur cannot behave like metals under hammering. Remember that malleability is a characteristic metallic property and almost always points to a metal in simple exam questions.

Final Answer:
The substance that can be beaten and converted into thin sheets is the metal Zinc.