Metals and non-

metals

Reactions
The Basics Reactivity
with metals
The Periodic Table is divided into….

Metals
The Periodic Table is divided into….

and non-metals
 Metals all have similar
physical properties…
•They have high melting and boiling points (except mercury)
•They conduct electricity and heat.
•They have a high density.
•They are shiny (lustrous).
•They are malleable (can be moulded)
•They are ductile (can be stretched)
 Non-metals….

• Have low melting and boiling points.

• Are brittle.
• Do not conduct heat or electricity well.
(except carbon)
Different metals are suitable for
different jobs.

Gold, silver and platinum are very unreactive but very

malleable - making them suitable for jewellery
Copper is malleable, ductile and it conducts heat
and electricity well.

It is also unreactive making it suitable

for holding and carrying water.
 Aluminium is a reactive
metal, but it forms a
coating of very stable
aluminium oxide.

This, together with its lightness and malleability

gives it many uses from window frames to
insulation foil.
Iron ore is common It can be moulded into
and iron itself is many shapes
very strong.
 As it forms, iron oxide
constantly flakes away
exposing more of the iron
underneath.

Remember:
Only iron oxide is called
rust.
Unfortunately iron is quite
brittle (for a metal) and also No other metal rusts!
oxidises (rusts) easily.
 Like aluminium, zinc oxidises
to form a stable coating of
zinc oxide which protects the
iron underneath it.

This is called galvanising.

To prevent this happening,

iron is often covered with a
thin layer of zinc.
 Lead is very dense, unreactive and
malleable - making it suitable for fishing
weights and roof sealing.

Lead fumes have been linked

to brain damage so it is now
considered too toxic to be
used inside houses (e.g. as in
old-fashioned water pipes)

Back
Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium

These three metals are all far too reactive to be

much use in their pure form.

They all make important compounds though.

 Sodium
Sodium metal is so reactive it has to be kept in oil to keep
it away from the oxygen in the air..

Without the oil, sodium quickly oxides into useless sodium

oxide

All the same, sodium is essential for both plants and animals.

The commonest source of sodium is common table salt –

Sodium Chloride.
 Calcium
Calcium is less reactive than sodium, but it still oxidises
too rapidly for the pure metal to have any uses.

Calcium compounds, however, are very important.

Calcium carbonate makes up about 10% of the earth’s surface

– limestone, marble and chalk.

Calcium compounds are essential for life – such as for making

bones and milk.
 Magnesium
Magnesium is less reactive then sodium or calcium.

It is still too reactive to have any uses in its pure form though.

Magnesium is easily obtainable from salts in sea water

Amongst other things, magnesium is essential for making

chlorophyll.
…. so Group 1
metals are the
Reactivity
most reactive Metals get more reactive as you
move left in the periodic table
…They also get
more reactive
Reactivity
as you go down
the table
 Group 1 metals are
the most reactive. Reactivity
then Group 2

and potassium

is more
reactive
than
sodium
 Reactivity

On the other hand, its difficult

to get copper and zinc to do
anything!
These
group 1
metals
are too
reactive
to be
allowed
in labs.
 Metals all form

(They do this by LOSING electrons)

Most non- metals form

(They do this by GAINING electrons)

Groups 1 – 13 form positive ions

Na+

Mg2+ Al3+
Group 14 elements don’t form ions

This is because they have 4

electrons in their outer shell. It
isn’t easier to gain 4 more or
lose 4 - so they don’t do either!
Groups 15, 16 and 17 all gain electrons to form negative ions

N3-

S2-

Cl-
Group 18 elements don’t form ions either.

This is because they already

have the full 8 electrons in their
outer shell.
3
Li
Group 1 metals all
11
Na
have one electron in
their outer shell.
19
K

Rb They can lose this

electron to form a
Cs
1+ positive ion
Fr
3
For instance:
Li

11
lithium lithium + electron
Na ion
19
K
Li Li+ + e-
Rb

Cs +

Fr
3
Li + Li+

11
Na

19
K

Rb

Cs

Fr
3
Li Li+

11
Na + Na+
19
K

Rb

Cs

Fr
3
Li Li+

11
Na Na+
19
K K+

Rb
+

Cs

Fr
3
Li Li+

11
Na Na+
19
K K+

Rb Rb+

Cs Cs+

Fr Fr+
 4 2+
Be Be
Group 2 metals
12
Mg have 2 electrons Mg
2+

20
in their outer
2+
Ca shell…. Ca

2+
Sr Sr

Ba
….. so they Ba
2+

form 2+ ions
2+
Ra Ra
Some metals, like iron, can form
2+ or 3+ ions

Fe Fe2+ +
2 e-

Fe Fe3+ + -
3e
 Non-metals can form two
types of ion:
Monatomic ions Polyatomic ions
(the ion is made from just (the ion is made from more than one
one non-metal element) non-metal element)

-
Cl = chloride OH- = hydroxide

I -
= iodide SO42- = sulphate

Br -
= bromide NO3- = nitrate

O 2- = oxide CO32- = carbonate

S 2- = sulphide HCO32- = hydrogen carbonate

Metal and non-metals join together to
make IONIC compounds.

2Cu + O2 2CuO
copper oxygen copper oxide

Mg + Cl2 MgCl2
magnesium chlorine magnesium
chloride
 Reactions with Metals.

1. Metals react with oxygen to from oxides.

2. Metals react with water to form hydroxides and

hydrogen gas.

3. Metals react with acids to form salts and hydrogen

gas.
 1. Metals react with oxygen (O2) to
form oxides.
sodium + oxygen  sodium oxide
4Na + O2  2Na2O

calcium + oxygen  calcium oxide

2Ca + O2  2CaO

iron + oxygen  iron oxide

4Fe + 3O2  2Fe2O3
2. Metals react with water to produce
hydroxides and hydrogen gas.
sodium + water  sodium hydroxide + hydrogen gas

2Na + 2H2O  2NaOH + H2

calcium + water  calcium hydroxide + hydrogen gas

Ca + 2H2O  Ca(OH)2 + H2

*Soluble hydroxides are called alkalis*

3. Metals react with acids to form
salts and hydrogen gas
potassium + hydrochloric acid  potassium chloride + hydrogen

2K + 2HCl  2KCl + H2

potassium + sulphuric acid  potassium sulphate + hydrogen

2K + H2SO4  K2SO4 + H2
Naming Salts The metal forms the first
part of the salt’s name.

potassium + hydrochloric acid  potassium chloride + hydrogen

2K + 2HCl  2KCl + H2

The non-metal forms

the second part of the
salt’s name.