Metals What are some properties of metals Good

Metals

What are some properties of metals? • • • Good conductors of heat and electricity Luster Malleable Ductile High Density

Good Conductors • How is this property used in everyday life? ?

Luster • Luster is the ability to reflect light well. • This property is used in jewelry and to make mirrors

Malleability and Ductility • Malleability is the ability to be compressed. It is often characterized as the materials ability to form a then sheet when rolled • Ductility is the ability to be stretched. It is often characterized as the materials ability to be pulled into a wire.

Density • Metals are usually very dense compared to non-metals. • This density is due to the tightly packed crystalline structure of their atoms • This property makes them useful in manufacturing and construction

Bonding • Metals usually have 1 to 3 electrons in their outer level • Metals will usually give up their electrons easily in a chemical reaction • When bonding with a nonmetal, a metal will give up it’s outer electrons and form an ionic bond.

Metallic Bonding • When a metal bonds with another metal, a metallic bond is formed • In a metallic bond the outer electrons move freely among the nuclei of the metallic atoms • This bonding is the reason for many of the properties of metals

The Alkali Metals • The alkali metals are shiny, malleable, ductile, and good conductors • Alkali metals are softer than other metals • They are the most reactive of all metals, and easily react with oxygen and water • Francium is one of the rarest elements having only 25 -30 grams present in the Earth’s crust at any one time

The Alkaline Earth Metals • The alkaline earth metals are also shiny, malleable, ductile, and good conductors • They are also very active metals

Transition Metals • Transition metals are the most common metals found in their uncombined states because they are less reactive. • They transition between the groups 1 and 2 and 13 through 18 on the periodic table

Iron, Cobalt, & Nickel • These elements are used in the creation of steel and other metal mixtures. • Iron is the main component of steel and the most used of all metals. • It is the second most common metal in the Earth’s crust after aluminum • Nickel is added to other metals to give them strength or a shiny protective coating • Cobalt is used to make temperature resistant alloys

Copper, Silver, & Gold • These elements are very stable and malleable, and are easily found in nature • They also have a high luster which makes them useful in jewelry • Copper is very common and a good conductor of electricity

Zinc, Cadmium, & Mercury • Zinc and Cadmium are often used to coat other metals • This is because the react with oxygen and form a protective coating on the surface • Mercury is the only metal which is liquid at room temperature, and is used in thermometers, thermostats, and batteries

Lanthanides and Actinides • These elements are separated from the periodic table in order to make it easier to read • The lanthanides are mostly used in electronics and other high tech devices such as lasers and batteries • All of the actinides are radioactive and unstable. Their unstable nature makes them hard to study. • Uranium is one of the most commonly used actinides, used in weapons and nuclear reactors

Alloy • An alloy is a mixture of a metal and another element. • The second element makes the mixture stronger than it’s main element. • The second element enhances the properties of the main element • Two of the most well known alloys are steel and brass