The Physical properties of metals Are characteristics such as how bright they are, how well they conduct heat and electricity, what temperature they melt, and how tense they are.
Chemical properties include how they react when exposed to oxygen, whether they can catch fire, and how difficult it is for them to cling to their electrons during chemical reactions.
Different elements may have properties in common. For example, iron and copper are elements that conduct electricity. However, they do not share all the same properties.
When iron is exposed to moist air it oxidizes, but when copper is exposed to the same conditions, it becomes green.
An element is the simplest form of matter that can not be divided into simpler substances or can not be constructed from simpler substances by some ordinary chemical or physical method.
There are 110 known elements, of which 92 occur naturally, while the rest have been artificially prepared. The elements can be classified into metals, non-metals and metalloids.
Most of the elements are metals. This includes alkaline earth metals, alkali metals, transition metals, actinides, and lanthanides. Metals are separated from non-metals in a periodic table through a zigzag line.
You may be interested The 17 Characteristics of Metals and No More Metals .
Physical properties of metals
The metals are glossy, Malleable , Docile and are good conductors of heat and electricity.
1- Solid state
The metals are solid at room temperature, with the exception of mercury which is liquid at room temperature.
Solid metals are maintained by a high shared density of delocalized electrons.
Metals are typically strong, dense, and good conductors of electricity and heat. Humanity has used metals for a variety of purposes since prehistoric times.
Its strength has led to its great use in the construction of buildings and other structures, as well as in vehicles, tools, rails, etc.
Iron and aluminum are two of the metals most commonly used by their structure; Are also the most abundant metals in the earth's crust.
Since metals are good conductors of electricity, they are valuable in electrical appliances and to carry energy currents over long distances with little loss of energy.
2- Brightness
Metals have the ability to reflect light from the surface and can be polished, such as gold, copper and silver.
The brightness of the metals has different types. The metallic sheen is generally opaque and reflects light; Have the appearance of polished metal.
3- Malleability
Metals have the ability to withstand hammering and can be converted into thin layers known as foils.
For example, a piece of gold the size of a sugar cube can be struck or turned into a thin foil covering a soccer field.
4- Ductility
This property refers to a metal being transformed into thin wires; Is determined by the percentage of elongation and the percent reduction in area of a metal.
Ductility means that metals can be converted into wires; 100 g of silver can be transformed into a thin grid of about 200 m long.
5- Hardness
Hardness is the ability of a metal to withstand a permanent change of shape caused by an external force. All metals are hard except for sodium and potassium which are soft and can be cut with the knife.
6- Valencia
Metals have one to three electrons in the outermost layer of their atoms.
7- Driving
Metals are good conductors because they have free electrons. Silver and copper are the two best conductors of heat and electricity.
Lead is the poorest heat conductor. Mercury, iron, and bismuth are also poor conductors.
8- Density
Metals have a high density and are quite heavy. Iridium and osmium have the highest densities, while lithium has the lowest density.
9- Boiling and melting points
Metals have a high boiling and melting point. Tungsten has the highest melting point, while silver has the lowest boiling point. Sodium and potassium also have low melting points.
Chemical properties Of metals
Metals are electro positive elements that generate basic or amphoteric oxides with oxygen.
10- Electro positive character
Metals tend to have low ionization energies (meaning they oxidize), and typically lose electrons when subjected to chemical reactions. They usually do not accept electrons.
Compounds of metals with non-metals tend to be ionic in nature. Most metal oxides are basic oxides and are dissolved in water to form metallic hydroxides.
Most metal oxides exhibit their basic chemical nature by reacting with acids to form salts and water.
11-Corrosion
Metals easily corrode. Corruption is a natural process that converts a refined metal into a more stable chemical form, such as an oxide, hydroxide, or sulfide.
It is the gradual destruction of the metal by electrochemical or chemical reactions with its environment.
12- Form basic oxides
A basic oxide is a bake that shows basic properties as opposed to acid oxides. The basic oxides are usually oxides mainly of metals, especially of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals.
13-Are good reducing agents
A reducing agent is a compound that loses or donates an electron to another chemical species in a chemical reduction-oxidation reaction. Since the reducing agent is losing electrons, it is said to have been oxidized.
Lanthanides are especially good in this reaction; Donate their electrons to gain stability and becoming a more acidic element.
References
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- Why are llanthanides good reducing agents? (2017). Recovered from quora.com.