The properties of metals and non-metals are different. This means they have different uses.
Metals …
Non-metals good conductors of heat and electricity shiny solids, often with high melting points (except mercury) found on the left of the Periodic Table sometimes magnetic (3 are - iron, cobalt and nickel)
Rigid/hard when thick and bendy when thin poor conductors of heat and electricity dull mostly solids or gases found on the right of the Periodic Table never magnetic soft and brittle
Aluminium is used for power lines because it is light and it is a good conductor of electricity.
Iron and steel are used for bridges because they are strong and cheap.
Gold is used for jewellery because it does not corrode and looks nice.
Many metals react with acids. Some unreactive metals will only react very slowly with strong acids, some will not react at all. Some metals are more reactive and explode when added to acid.
When a metal reacts with an acid, hydrogen gas is given off and a metal salt is made. We can test for hydrogen by putting a burning splint into a test tube of gas. It will explode with a squeaky ‘pop’.
Chlorides are made with hydrochloric acid. Sulfates are made with sulfuric acid.
Metal + acid
 metal salt + hydrogen
E.g. 1
E.g. 2
Zinc + sulfuric acid

zinc sulfate + hydrogen
Potassium + hydrochloric acid

potassium chloride + hydrogen
Some metals react with water to produce a metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas.
Metal + water
 metal hydroxide + hydrogen
E.g. Lithium + water

lithium hydroxide + hydrogen

Some metal carbonates react with acid to produce a metal salt, carbon dioxide gas and water. We can test for carbon dioxide using a lighted splint. It will go out.
Metal carbonate + acid

metal salt + carbon dioxide + water
E.g. 1 Calcium carbonate + sulfuric acid

calcium sulfate + carbon dioxide + water
E.g. 2 Potassium carbonate + hydrochloric acid

potassium chloride + carbon dioxide + water
Some metal oxides react with acid to make a metal salt but no gas is produced. The test tube will get warm and the solution may change colour. You can then filter out any excess copper oxide (black) and evaporate the water from the copper sulphate to leave copper sulphate crystals (blue).
Metal oxide + acid
 salt + water sulphuric acid
 copper sulphate + water E.g. Copper oxide +
Metals may react with substances like air, water and acids. R eactive metals react very easily. Unreactive metals do not. Metals can be arranged in order in the Reactivity Series .
most reactive Potassium Please
Sodium
Lithium
Calcium
Send
Lazy
Charlie
Magnesium Money
Aluminium All
Zinc
Iron
Zoos
In
Tin
Lead
Copper
Silver
Gold
Town
Let
Children
See
Gorillas least reactive
More reactive metals can displace less reactive metals from their compounds.
In a displacement reaction, the more reactive metal will form a compound, and the less reactive metal is left on its own as the pure element.
iron is more reactive than copper, so it will displace copper. iron + copper chloride

iron chloride + copper iron is less reactive than zinc, so iron will not displace zinc. iron + zinc chloride

no reaction