What Are Metals?
Metals are solid materials and are
typically hard, malleable (bendy),
ductile (flexible) and heavy.
They are good conductors of heat and
electricity.
Metals are shiny and have a high
density.
They can also be opaque as a thin
sheet.
Example: aluminium, copper, gold,
silver, steel are all metals.
What are Non Metals?
The prefix non- means “not.”
Any material or substance that is not
a pure metal is a non-metal.
Non metals are dull in appearance.
They are poor conductors of heat
and electricity.
Non-metals maybe solids, liquid or
gases at room temperature.
Example: hydrogen, helium,
phosphorus, iodine, carbon are
some non-metals.
What Metals Are Like
 Metals are usually easy to
recognize. Every metal except
mercury is solid at room
temperature. (Mercury is liquid.)
 Most metals are grey in colour
and shiny in appearance. Many
metals are quite hard. Metals
can be stretched into wire or
rolled into sheets. Many metals
conduct, or carry, electricity well.
Where Metals Are Found?
Living things have certain metals within some of
their cells. But the metals that people use to make
things are found in Earth’s crust.
Metallurgy is the science of
separating metals from ore and then
working with the metals.
History of Metal
 Gold and copper were the first metals to be discovered. Then
came silver, lead, tin, iron, and mercury.
 At first, people simply hammered metals into shape. Then
they learned to melt metals and pour them into molds. More
than 5,000 years ago, people made the first alloy—bronze.
They used it to make tools and weapons. More than 3,000
years ago, people learned to purify iron, which is stronger
than bronze.
Physical Properties of metals
 Lustrous (shiny)
 Good conductors of heat and electricity
 High melting point
 High density (heavy for their size)
 Malleable (can be hammered)
 Ductile (can be drawn into wires)
 Usually solid at room temperature (an exception is
mercury)
 Opaque as a thin sheet (can't see through metals)
 Metals are sonorous or make a bell-like sound when
struck
Physical Properties of non-metals
 Not lustrous (dull appearance)
 Poor conductors of heat and electricity
 Nonductile solids
 Brittle solids
 May be solids, liquids or gases at room temperature
 Transparent as a thin sheet
 Non-metals are not sonorous
Physical properties of Metals and
Nonmetals
Metals heat up quickly, and electricity
passes through them easily.
Imagine you are at a park on a hot, summer day.
You notice a tall, metal slide positioned next the swings.
Would you go down the slide? Why or
why not?
 Some people would not go down the metal slide
because it was probably too hot due to the sunlight.
 On a hot, summer day a metal slide feels much hotter
than a plastic slide.
 Plastic- a substance made of nonmetals- does not
conduct heat or electricity very well.
Metals include their melting and
boiling points.
 Another physical
property of metals
include their melting
and boiling points
 For example, when
mercury is heated or
cooled, it expands or
shrinks evenly.
Metals are malleable
 They are easy to shape or form; they can be
hammered or rolled into very thin sheets.
Malleable easy to shape
or to form.
 Malleable is
derived from the
Latin term malleus
meaning “hammer.”
Metals have high thermal
conductivity
 Since metals are good conductors of heat, many
cooking pans are made of metal.
 The handles of pans are covered with plastic or
wood because nonmetals do not conduct heat very
well.
Different metals have different
densities.
 Aluminum and titanium are less dense than others,
therefore, they are very light.
 These metals are often used in airplanes and other
objects in which weight is important.
Uses of Metals
 We all use metals in our daily lives!
 Gold, Silver and Platinum are often used to make jewelry.
 Another important use of metals is in electrical wiring.
 To make tools because they can be strong and easy to
shape.
 Iron and steel have been used to make bridges, buildings
or ships.
 To make items like coins, pots nails, crews etc.
Metalloid
A substance that
has some of the
properties of a
metal and some
of the properties
of a nonmetal.
Alloy
A solid solution
made by
combining
metals or a
metal and
nonmetal.
ACTIVITY 1
 LABLE THE CORRECT
ELEMENT AS METAL OR NONMETAL
Magnesium
It is strong. It is good conductor of heat. Its
properties make it easy to weld. They are
shiny in appearance.
Aluminium
 Aluminium is silvery-white in colour. It is one of the
most ductile and malleable. Aluminium is nonmagnetic. Aluminium possesses good thermal and
electrical conductivity. Ideal for making such
products as culinary utensils, automotive parts,
construction materials, and food and beverage
containers.
sulphur
 Sulphur is a yellow solid. It is a poor conductor of
heat and electricity.
Iron
 Iron conducts heat and electricity, has a lustre.
Pure iron is fairly soft and can easily be shaped
and formed when hot.
Copper
 It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high
thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface
of pure copper has a bright metallic lustre.
Show What You Know
How can you tell if a substance is a metal?
Show What You Know
How can you tell if a substance is a metal?
Metals conduct heat and electricity well. They
are malleable and reflect light.
Show What You Know
What does the term “malleable” mean?
Show What You Know
What does the term “malleable” mean?
 Malleable means easy to shape or form.
Show What You Know
 What properties do aluminum, iron, and
copper have in common?
Show What You Know
 What properties do aluminum, iron, and
copper have in common?
 Aluminum, iron, and copper all conduct
heat and electricity and are malleable.
Show What You Know
What are some physical properties of
metals?
Show What You Know
What are some physical properties of
metals?
Some physical properties of metals are their
melting and boiling points, malleability, and
conductivity of heat and electricity.
Show What You Know
 How do the properties of metals affect the
ways they are used?
Show What You Know
How do the properties of metals affect the
ways they are used?
 Metals are used in pans because they are
good conductors of heat. They are used in
wires because they conduct electricity. They
can be shaped in different objects. The less
dense metals are used in airplanes.