Which statement accurately describes nonferrous metals?

Which statement accurately describes nonferrous metals?

• A. They are all magnetic.
• B. They do not contain iron.
• C. They have higher density than ferrous metals.
• D. They always corrode in water.

Answer: (B)

Nonferrous metals are metals that do not contain iron. This defining quality is what separates them from ferrous metals, which do contain iron. Because they lack iron, the simplest and most consistent description is that they do not contain iron, making that statement the correct one.

The other ideas aren’t universally true for nonferrous metals: magnetic behavior isn’t the same for all of them (some nonferrous metals are magnetic, others are not); density varies widely across nonferrous metals, so saying they have higher density than ferrous metals isn’t a universal rule; and corrosion in water isn’t guaranteed either—some nonferrous metals resist corrosion, while others may corrode under certain conditions.