Which statement best describes non-ferrous metals?

• A. They rust quickly.
• B. They do not contain much iron and are not magnetic.
• C. They are always ferromagnetic.
• D. They are rarely used.

Answer: (B)

Non-ferrous metals are metals that do not contain iron, which is why they are not attracted to magnets in typical cases and don’t form rust like iron does. The best description is that they do not contain much iron and are not magnetic. Rust is iron oxide, so a metal that rusts quickly would be iron-containing, not non-ferrous. Some non-ferrous metals can be magnetic in rare cases, so saying they are always ferromagnetic isn’t accurate. And non-ferrous metals are widely used in many applications, so claiming they are rarely used isn’t correct.