Answer
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Work Step by Step
The diagonal line that separates the metals from the nonmetals on the periodic table is a result of the periodic trends in ionization energy and electronegativity.
As we move from left to right across a period, ionization energy generally increases, leading to a region with nonmetals on the right side and metals on the left side.
Moving downward in a group, ionization energy decreases, resulting in a diagonal boundary separating metals and nonmetals.