Properties of Metals

It is possible to distinguish elements into metals and nonmetals in terms of their physical and chemical characteristics. Metals are elements presenting ductility and malleability and are good conductors of electricity and heat. They lie on the left side of the periodic table.

In contrast, nonmetals are dull in appearance, have low melting points, low density, are brittle, and do not conduct heat and electricity easily. They are placed on the right side of the periodic table.

Metals can create positive ions, also known as cations. They are also able to create metallic bonds. 

Physical properties of Metals

Metals are shiny and malleable. They are also ductile and excellent conductors of heat and electricity. Other characteristics include:

• State: The metals are solid at room temperatures. Mercury is the only exception, which can be liquid at room temperature (Gallium is liquid during warm days).
• Lustre: Metals possess the ability to reflect light off their surfaces and are polished, e.g. copper, silver, and gold.
• Malleability: Metals can withstand hammering and can be formed into thin sheets, referred to as foils. For instance, a bar of gold could be crushed into a fine sheet that could cover the football field.
• Ductility: Metals can be drawn in wires. For instance, 100 grams of silver could become a fine wire of around 200 metres.
• Hardness: All metals have hardness apart from potassium and sodium, both of which have a softness and can be easily cut by knives.
• Valency: Metals typically have 1 to 3 electrons within the outermost shell of their atoms.
• Conduction Metals are great conductors due to their free electrons. Copper and silver are the two top conductors for electricity and heat. Lead is the worst conductor of heat. Bismuth, Mercury and iron are also poor conductors.
• Density: Metals have the highest density and are extremely heavy. Osmium and Iridium have the highest density, while lithium comes in at the bottom of the density scale.
• Boiling and melting points Metals have very high melting and boiling points. Tungsten has the most melting and boiling points, whereas Mercury has the lowest. Both potassium and sodium have low melting points.

Which are the five Metal groups? What are their characteristics?

1. Noble Metals are classified as pure metals since they’re non-reactive and cannot mix with other elements to create compounds. Since they’re non-reactive, they are not prone to rusting easily. This makes them suitable for jewellery and coins. Noble metals are palladium, copper, silver platinum, gold, and palladium.
2. Alkali Metals are highly reacting. They have low melting points and are sufficiently soft to cut using knives. Sodium and potassium are alkali metals.
3. Transition Metals are what we normally imagine as we consider metals. They are shiny and sturdy yet easy to form. They are utilised for a variety of industrial applications. This includes gold, iron, nickel, silver, chromium and copper, a few of which are also noble metals.
4. Alkaline Earth Metals can be discovered in the form of compounds that contain a variety of minerals. These metals are more stable than alkali metals and have greater melting points. This comprises magnesium, calcium, and barium.
5. The weak metals are quite soft, and they aren’t used frequently on their own. They can be extremely useful when they are added to other substances. Metals that are not good include gallium, aluminium, tin, antimony, thallium and bismuth.

Chemical properties of Metals

Reaction with Oxygen: Oxygen reacts with metals to produce metallic oxides, which are the basic elements in nature.

• Metal + oxygen = metal oxide and water base
• Examples – Magnesium is a type of metal. When it is reacted with oxygen, it produces magnesium oxide. If we dissolve magnesium oxide into water, it releases magnesium hydroxide:

2Mg + O2 → 2MgO

MgO + H2O → Mg(OH)2

• An aqueous solution of iron oxide changes the colour of litmus paper blue.

Reaction with water: All metals can react when they contact water. If a metal reacts with water, metal hydroxide, as well as hydrogen gas, is created.

• Metal + Water = Metal hydroxide + Hydrogen
• Example: A sodium metal reaction occurs when water is mixed with it and forms sodium hydroxide and hydrogen gas:

Na + H2O → NaOH + H2

Reactions with Acid: Metals react with acids to create hydrogen gas and salt. Certain metals can vigorously react with acid.

• Metal + Acid = Salt metal + hydrogen
• Example: Magnesium interacts with hydrochloric acid and creates hydrogen and magnesium chloride. The reaction can be seen below:

Mg + 2HCl →MgCl2 + H2

Reaction with Bases: Metals react with bases, such as sodium hydroxide, to form hydrogen gas and salt.

• Metal + Base = salt of Metal + hydrogen
• Example: Aluminium metal reacts with Sodium hydroxide to form sodium aluminate as well as hydrogen gas:

Al + NaOH →NaAlO2 + H2

Displacement Reaction: A more reactive metal is displaced by an inactive element from salt solutions. These kinds of reactions are known as displacement reactions.

• Example: Iron is more reactive than copper. Therefore, it removes the copper in its salt:

CuSO4 + Fe →FeSO4 + Cu

Conclusion

Metals in chemistry are described as elements that can create positive ions known as cations and form metallic bonds. Metals differ by physical and chemical properties like malleability, ductility, ionisation, and bonding. There are five types of metals: noble metals and alkali metallics and alkaline earth metals, transition metals and weak metals. We can determine the chemical properties of metals through their reaction with water, oxygen, dilute acids and other salts.