Jumana Usama – Properites and uses of metals

Introduction to Metals and Non-metals

The materials present around us are grouped widely into metals and non-
metals. But can you say by their properties which material is metal and
which is a non-metal? Is wood a metal? or Iron a non-metal? Let us
learn this topic in detail.

Metals

Metals are materials holding or possessing the characteristics of

being shiny, hard, fusible, malleable, ductile, etc. Few examples of

metals (materials) are – Gold, Silver, Aluminum m, Copper,

Iron, etc.

Physical Material Properties of Metals

The physical properties of metals are:

Luster

The property of metals which in the pure state usually shines.

The shine on the metallic surface e is the metallic luster. They

shine in light due to the reason that the metals possess free
electrons that vibrates on getting in contact with light t.
Malleability

Malleability refers to the property of metals by which they can be

beaten into thin sheets. One such example is silver metal beaten
to make silver foil used for decorating sweets.

Ductility

Ductility refers to the properties of metals by virtue of which they

can be drawn into thin wires. One example of ductility is copper

and iron which can be drawn in to thin wires.

Conductivity

The metals are a good conductor of heat and electricity as they

can pass through them. They are good conductors of heat and
electricity. The best conductors of electricity are silver and copper,
however, lead and mercury are poor conductors of electricity.
They also have a high melting point except Caesium and Galium
have the very low melting point.

Sonorous

On being struck hard, the metals produce a ringing sound. Due to

this property, they sonorous. For example – the school bell
 Jumana Usama – Properites and uses of metals

produces a loud ringing sound when stuck with the hammer hard.
Some examples are – Iron, Gold, Copperr, Aluminum,
Magnesium, and many more.

Solid

Except for Mercury, all the metals are solid. Mercury is in the
liquid state at room temperature. The exceptional metals are
Sodium ( Na), Potassium ( K ) and Mercury. The metals like
Sodium ( Na) and Potassium ( K ) are easily cut with the help of a
knife. Other examples of metals are iron, copper, silver,
aluminum, calcium, gold etc.

Uses of Metals

The many uses of Metals are:

 ● Metals are used for various purposes, from making wires
and sheets. For example – Copper and aluminum wires in
electrical equipment’s, especially for conduction of
electricity.

● Metals are also used in making automobiles, machinery,

water boilers, industrial gadgets, etc.

● The metals are used in making utensils and water boilers due to
its property of being a good conductor of heat.

Non-Metals

Non – metals are materials not holding the characteristics of

metals, means they are not shiny, hard, fusible, malleable, ductile,
etc. Many materials like coal and Sulphur are very soft and dull in
appearance. They break down into very fine thin powdery mass
on tapping with the hammer. They are neither in – sonorous and
also are a very poor conductor of heat and electricity. Few
examples of non – metals are carbon, oxygen, Sulphur, etc.

Physical Material Properties of Non-Metals

The physical properties of non – metals are:

 Jumana Usama – Properites and uses of metals

● The solid non-metals are brittle or dull and soft as they

can be broken down into a powdery substance or mass
on tapping down with the hammer. Few examples are
Coal and Sulphur. However, Diamond is an exception as
it is the hardest non-metal.

● Non – metals may be either solids, liquids, or gases.

● Non-metals are poor conductors of heat t and

electricity except Graphite.

● They do not possess metallic luster.

● Non-metals are not sonorous; they do not produce a
ringing sound.
● Non-metals possess no malleability.
● They are not ductile.
● They have dull luster; however, iodine is lustrous.

● Some example of non – metals are carbon, oxygen n,

Sulphur, phosphorous, and many more.

Uses of Non-Metals

● Many non-metals like chlorine, Sulphur, iodine is very

useful for medicinal purposes.
● Non-metal like oxygen is very essential for our life for
respiration.

● We use nitrogen phosphorus in fertilizers for better plant

growth and enhance the fertility of the soil.
● Non-metal like Sulphur is useful in crackers.
 Chlorine and Fluorine are useful for the water
purification purpose.

Solved Question for You

Q. Non-metal oxides when react with water forms ________.

A.Bases

B. Acids

C. Neutral Compounds

D.None of the above.

Solution: B. Meta l Oxides forms bases and non-metal oxides form

acids when they react with water. Metal oxides when they react

with water produces base s.

Physical Properties of Metals and Nonmetals

We associate metals with hard shiny objects, and nonmetals with dull,
light objects. These are nothing but the physical properties of metals and
nonmetals. We all know how useful metals and nonmetals are but do
we know about their properties? Let’s find out about the physical
properties of metals and nonmetals.

Physical Properties of Metals

The following are the physical properties of metal :

● The physical properties make them useful for many purposes.

For e.g. Copper is used in making electric wires, gold is used to
make jewellery, stainless steel is used to make pots, pans, etc

● Metals react with nonmetals to form ionic bond s. For e.g.

Sodium Chloride (NaCl)

● Metals are a good conductor of electricity y which means

that they can conduct electricity due to the free moving

 electrons present in them. Copper is used as wiring as it is a

good conductor of electricity.

Metals have high melting points and high boiling points as they
have strong metallic bonds.
● All metals are physically lustrous. They have a luster that
makes them shine. Gold is used for making jeweler.

● Metals are hard, they can’t be broken easily and require a lot of
energy and strength to break. Iron is used to make cars,
buildings, ships, etc.
● Metals weigh a lot as they have a high density. Metals are
heavy for their size.

● They don’t have flexibility and have tensile strength. Metals

can’t be stretched.

● Metals are great conductors of heat. That’s why pots, pans,

vessels are made of metals.

Some More Properties

● They are good conductors of sound. They are sonorous.
● Metals are ductile which means that they can be used to make
thin wires.

● They are malleable which means that they can be pounded into
thin sheets.
 ●

Metals are usually solid at room temperature. However, there

is an exception i.e., Mercury which is usually in liquid form.
● There are a few metals that have low density, soft, and have

low melting and boiling points. These metals are alkali an d

alkaline earth metals, they are also highly reactive, and are

rarely encountered in their elemental, metallic form.

● Some metals like sodium are so soft that they can be cut with a
knife.

● Three magnetic metals are iron, nickel and cobalt. Steel is also
magnetic but it is an alloy which contains iron.

● Metals tend to gain valence electron s.

● Also, metals have low electronegativity y.

● Metals usually have one to three electrons in their outer shell.

Learn here.
Physical Properties of Nonmetals

The following are the properties of Nonmetals:

● Nonmetals have high ionization energies.

They have high electronegativities.
● Nonmetals are insulators which means that they’re poor
conductors of electricity.

● They are dull, they do not have luster like metals.

● Nonmetals are poor conductors of heat. They’re poor thermal

conductors.

● They are very weak and brittle. They tend to easily break or
shatter.

● Nonmetals have a low density. They’re light for their size.

● They aren’t good conductors of sound and do not make sounds

when they are hit.

● They tend to gain electrons easily.

● Nonmetals maybe solid, liquids or gaseous.

● Nonmetals form acidic oxides.

● They’re good oxidizing agents.

 ●

● Generally, Nonmetals have four to eight electrons in the outer

shell.

Solved example for You

Q: Which of the following metal is in liquid form even at room

temperature?

a. Zinc

b. Mercury

c. Silver

d. Copper

Ans: The correct answer is option ‘b’. Mercury is the only metal that
can be in liquid form at room temperature.

Q. What are the Properties of Alkali Metals?

Learn about Group 14 Element s to find the answer.

Chemical Properties and Uses of Metals and Non-metals

The materials that are present around us are grouped widely into metals

and non-metals. They offer various uses in everyday life. Meta l and

Non-metals have some very interesting and useful chemical

properties, which makes our lives easier. Let’s find out more about them
in the section below.

Chemical Properties of Metals

The chemical properties of metals are –

Oxidation

All metals except the noble metals, which is gold and silver react with the

oxygen to form basic oxides. In the reaction n, the Sodium reacts

vigorously with oxygen and generates a lot of heat. For example –

Magnesium (Mg) + Oxygen (O2) —- 2MgO (Magnesium Oxide)

Rusting of Iron

Iron (Fe) + Oxygen (O2) + Water (H2 O) ——— Fe2 O3 (Iron

Oxide, is a brown color rust)

Greenish Deposit on the Surface of Copper Vessels

The dull greenish material that is deposited on the surface of copper is a
mixture of copper hydro oxide [Cu (OH)2] and copper carbonate

(CUCO3) which takes place as –

2Cu + H2O + CO2 + O2 ——- [Cu(OH)2] + (CUCO3)

Reaction of Metals with Water

The metallic oxides are basic in nature. Metals like sodium (Na) react
vigorously with water at room temperature.

2Na + 2H2O ——— 2NaOH + H 2 (Hydrogen hydroxide)

The active metals like Potassium (K) and Calcium (Ca) reacts with

water at room temperature. However, some metals do not react.

For example – Iron reacts with water slowly.

Reaction with Acids

Acids react with metals to liberate hydrogen along with the corresponding
salt of the metal.

Zinc + Hydrochloric acid —— Zinc chloride + Hydrogen

 Or, Zn + 2HCl —– ZnCl2 + H2

Zinc + Sulphuric acid —— Zinc sulfate + Hydrogen

Or, Zn + H2 SO4 —— ZnSO4 + H2

When a burning matchstick is brought near Hydrogen, it burns with a

pop sound.

Reaction with Bases

Metals react with sodium hydroxide to produce hydrogen.

Displacement Reactions

Some metals are capable of displacing other metals from their solutions.

For example – Zinc (Zn) replaces copper from copper sulfate solutions.

Copper Sulphate + Zinc ——- Zinc Sulphate + Copper

CuSO4 + Zn —— ZnSO4 + Cu

More active metals displace less active metals from their solution,
in general. In this case, Zinc is more reactive than Cu, so it replaces
copper (Cu) from a copper sulfate solution. Implying the rule, a
more reactive metal replaces a less reactive metal, however, a less
reactive metal cannot replace a reactive metal.

Chemical Properties of Non – Metals

● Oxidation: Non-metals react with oxygen to form oxides

which are acidic in nature.

● Reaction of Non-metals with Water: Non-metals do not

react with water though they may be very reactive in the air.

However, some non-metals react with air. For example –

Phosphorous.

Uses of Metal
● We use metals are for various purposes like for making wires and

sheets. For example – Copper and aluminum wires in

electrical equipment’s, especially for conduction of electricity.

● They are also extensively used in making automobiles, machinery,

industrial gadgets, etc.
 ● The metals are used in making utensils and water boilers due to its

property of being a good conductor of heat.

Uses of Non – Metal

● Non-metals like nitrogen and phosphorus are very useful in
fertilizers for better plant growth.

● Non-metal like Sulphur is useful in crackers.

● We use a non-metal like chlorine in purple colored solution on

the wound as the antiseptic.

● Many non-metals like chlorine, sulphur, iodine are very useful for
medicinal purposes.

● Non-metal like oxygen is very essential for our life for respiration.

Solved Question For You

Question 1. The property of metals by which they can be beaten into

thin sheets is:

A.Malleability
 B. Ductility

C. Conduction
D.Expansion

Solution: The correct answer is A. The property of metals by which

they can be beaten into thin sheets is malleability.