Metals and non-metals

Three main groups

The periodic table has 118 different elements, and each one has its own chemical properties. Elements are divided into three main groups: metals, nonmetals, and metalloids.

What is a metal?

Metals are elements on the periodic table that have similar features and molecular structures. They are usually hard, shiny materials that can transfer heat and electricity well. Metals are also known for their special properties of being bendable, stretchable, and reflective, which make them useful for building, making, and medical purposes.

There are over 90 kinds of metal on the periodic table, which are grouped differently based on physical or chemical properties.

What are the properties of metals?

Metals are elements that people use a lot in their daily lives. Some examples are iron, copper, gold and silver. Metals have many common properties with each other. For example:

They are solid at room temperature because they have high melting and boiling points.
They can transfer heat and electricity well.
They are shiny when they look at them.
They are bendable.

Some other properties of metals include:

They are hard and strong.
They are heavy.
They are sonorous (They make a sound when they hit something).

What are non- metals?

Non-metals are elements that do not have the properties of metals. They are often not very strong and do not transfer heat and electricity well. Non-metals are natural elements that are used on their own or in compounds with other elements.

There are 20 non-metals on the periodic table, which are divided into three subgroups:

Nonmetals: Elements that are usually thought of as non-metals. They include elements such as sulphur, phosphorus, chlorine, and carbon.
Halogens: Elements that have some properties of metals and some of non-metals. They include elements such as silicon, boron, and arsenic.
Noble gases: Elements that are very stable and do not react with other elements. They include elements such as helium, neon, and argon. Noble gases are often seen as a separate group from non-metals, but they are actually non-metals.

What are the properties of non-metals?

Non-metals share some properties with each other. For example, they are often:

Poor conductors of heat and electricity.
Not shiny when they look at them.
Not very strong and easy to break.

Some other properties that non-metals have are:

Usually low melting and boiling points, so they are gases and liquids at room temperature.
Do not make a sound when they hit something.

Some non-metals do not have all these properties. For example, carbon can be graphite or diamond. Both graphite and diamond have very high melting points and are shiny. Graphite can transfer electricity, which is not common for non-metals. But graphite is also easy to break, which is common for non-metals.

What are metalloids?

Metalloids are elements that have some properties of metals and some of nonmetals. They can transfer heat or electricity better than nonmetals, but not as well as metals. Metalloids look like metals, but they are not very strong and can break easily even though they are solid at room temperature.

What are the properties of metalloids?

Metalloids have some properties of metals and some of nonmetals. Their properties are a mix of the two, depending on their physical and chemical traits. For example, a metalloid can look like a metal but act like a nonmetal. Metalloids are useful elements that are often used to make alloys and compounds.

Heat resistance: Metalloids need more heat than nonmetals but less heat than metals to change from solid to liquid or gas. They have medium melting and boiling points.
Conductivity: Metalloids can transfer electricity and heat, but not as well as metals.
Hardness: Metalloids are usually not very strong and can break or crack like nonmetals.
Lustre: Metalloids are usually shiny and reflective like metals.
Density: Metalloids are usually heavier than nonmetals but lighter than metals.
Physical forms: Most metalloids are solid at room temperature, but they can become liquid or gas when heated.
Ionisation: Metalloids have medium ionization energies and electronegativity values.

Summary:

The periodic table shows the properties of elements based on their position.
Most elements are metals and they are on the left and middle of the periodic table.
Metals have many common properties, such as being good at transferring heat and electricity.
Non-metals usually have the opposite properties. For example, they are bad at transferring heat and electricity.