Metal

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Key Properties of Metals

Physical Properties  -

• Physical forms  -  Most metals are naturally solid at room temperature, except for mercury, which is liquid at room temperature.  In physical form, metals can be defined as substances, which have a bright luster and are good conductors of heat and electricity.  They have varying degrees of density, hardness, malleability and ductility.
• Form alloys  -  Metals can be mixed with other elements to form alloys, which are materials with improved properties (such as increased strength or corrosion resistance).
• Heat Resistance  -  Metals have high melting and boiling points, allowing them to remain solid in high temperatures. 
• Conductivity  -  Metals are known for their ability to conduct electricity and heat due to free electrons that move freely throughout the metal and carry electrical and thermal current.
• Density  -  Metals are dense, solid materials that weigh more than nonmetals.  Density is characteristic of the material from which the object is made, and its value can help identify the material.
• Malleability and Ductility  -  Metals are malleable and ductile, allowing them to be pounded, rolled into different shapes, or drawn into wire without breaking.
• Color  -  The color of metal can vary depending on factors such as the specific type of metal, its surface treatment, and the presence of impurities or alloying elements.  In its pure form, many metals have a characteristic metallic luster, which gives them a shiny, reflective appearance.  This luster arises from the metal’s ability to reflect light.  However, pure metals can also exhibit different colors.
• Luster  -  A physical property that describes how a mineral's surface and structure interact with light.  Luster describes how a mineral reflects and refracts light.
• Ionization  -  Metals are prone to losing electrons and forming positive ions.  This is because the outermost electrons in a metal’s atoms are not strongly attracted to the positively charged nucleus and can be easily removed.

Chemical Properties  -

• Electropositivity  - The capability of an atom to donate electrons and generate positively charged cations is known as electropositivity.  Metallic elements, particularly alkali metals and alkaline earth metals, are known to have this feature.  Electropositivity is the reverse of electronegativity, which is a measurement of an atom’s tendency to acquire electrons and create negatively charged anions.  As a result, electropositive elements have very low electronegativities, whereas highly electronegative elements have low electropositivity.
• Reactivity  -  React with oxygen to form metal oxides (rust in iron).  Reactive metals lose electrons easily and produce vigorous (explosive or potentially dangerous) reactions with water or acids.  Unreactive metals do not lose electrons easily and are inert under normal conditions and with substances they are likely to encounter.
• Corrosion  -  Some metals react with air and water, leading to corrosion.  Corrosion can have either positive or negative effects, but we wouldn’t advise picking a metal that isn’t corrosion resistant when you need it to be.  But you have to consider the instability and potential damage corrosion can cause.
• Alloy Formation  -  Metals can combine with other metals or elements to form alloys.  Because alloys combine different elements, they contain atoms of different sizes.  How these atoms combine and interact with one another gives alloys their classification.  In alloy chemistry, an alloy can be classified as substitutional or interstitial, according to its atomic arrangement.

Periodic Table and Metals

The physical properties of metals have characteristic such as shiny, hard, high density, malleable, high melting point and can conduct electricity and heat well.  Metals are essential in various industries, from construction and transportation to electronics and healthcare.  All metals and their definations can be found the here in the metal element periodic table.