Understanding Metal Malleability

The question asks to identify a metal that is so malleable it can be shaped into leaves simply by pressing it with fingers. This property is known as malleability, which is the ability of a metal to deform under compressive stress without fracturing.

Analyzing Metal Properties

Let's examine the malleability of the given metals:

• Iron: Iron is malleable and ductile, but it requires significant force or heat to shape extensively. It cannot be shaped into leaves by finger pressure alone.
• Silver: Silver is highly malleable and ductile, second only to gold among common metals. It can be hammered into very thin sheets (foil), but finger pressure alone is usually insufficient for leaf formation.
• Sodium: Sodium is a very soft metal, soft enough to be cut with a knife. However, it is highly reactive, especially with moisture in the air and skin, making it impractical and dangerous to handle for shaping purposes. Its softness is not primarily demonstrated through malleability into thin sheets.
• Gold: Gold is the most malleable of all metals. It can be hammered or pressed into extremely thin sheets, known as gold leaf, which are only a few hundred atoms thick. This extreme malleability allows it to be shaped significantly even with relatively low pressure, consistent with the description of shaping into leaves by finger pressure.

Conclusion on Malleability

Based on the property of extreme malleability, Gold is the metal that can be shaped into leaves by the pressure of the fingers.