Metals
Section 16-2
Families on the Periodic Table
• Columns are grouped into families.
• Families may be one column, or
several columns put together.
• Families have names rather than
numbers. (Just like your family has
a common last name.)
• Elements in a family have similar
chemical and physical properties.
Properties of Metals
•Abundant in the world
pure vs alloy
(coins, cars, planes, tools, etc.)
•Exist as pure elements
(gold, copper, zinc, aluminum)
or alloys/mixtures (stainless steel)
•Physical properties such as
high melting points, hardness,
shininess, conductivity,
malleable (shapeable), and
ductile (pulled into wire)
ductile
malleable
Metals, nonmetals, & Metalloids
•Metals – most of the
elements on the table.
Solids at room temp.
Nonmetals
Metals
(Hg a liquid at room temperature)
•Nonmetals – about 1/3
of the elements. Gases at
room temperature.
•Metalloids – seven
elements located at the
stair step. Properties of
metals and nonmetals
(*semiconductors)
Alkali Metals
• 1st family on the periodic table
(Group 1), not including hydrogen
• Very reactive metals, lose 1 ve• Never found alone in nature, always
in a compound (like in salt, NaCl)
• As elements, shiny and soft enough
to be cut with a butter knife
• Sodium & potassium are found in
compounds we eat. Li is in batteries
and medicines
1 ve-
Li
Na
K
Rb
Cs
Fr
Alkaline Earth Metals
•
•
•
•
2nd family on the periodic table. (Group 2)
Second most reactive metals, lose 2 veAlways combined with nonmetals in nature
Hard, bright white metals that are good
conductors of electricity
• Mg is in flash cubes and calcium is in a lot of
foods we eat (milk, cheese, etc)
2 ve-
Be
Mg
Ca
Sr
Ba
Ra
Transition Metals
• Elements in groups 3-12.
• Less reactive metals such as iron,
copper, nickel, silver, & gold.
• React slowly with air or water to form rust.
• Includes metals used in jewelry and
construction.
• Hard and shiny metals used as “real
metals.”
• Iron in the form of hemoglobin carries
oxygen and makes our blood red
Boron Family
• Elements in group 13,
(four metals and one metalloid)
• Very light aluminum
metal was once rare
and expensive, was not
a “disposable metal”
3 ve-
Carbon Family
• Elements in group 14,
(one metal, two metalloids, & two nonmetals)
• Contains elements important to life
and computers
• Carbon is the basis for an entire
branch of chemistry known as
organic chemistry
• Lead made paint poisonous
• Silicon is a semiconductor
4 ve-
Rare Earth Elements
Lanthanides
Actinides
• Placed below for convenience
• Uranium is used in nuclear power plants
• After uranium (92) are man-made, not found in nature