Metals and Nonmetals

Chemical Properties:

Metals: Usually have 1-3 electrons in their outer shell. Lose their valence electrons easily. Form oxides that are basic. Are good reducing agents. Have lower electronegativities

Nonmetals: Usually have 4-8 electrons in their outer shell. Gain or share valence electrons easily. Form oxides that are acidic. Are good oxidizing agents. Have higher electronegativities.

Physical properties

Metals: Good electrical conductors and heat conductors. Malleable - can be beaten into thin sheets. Ductile - can be stretched into wire. Possess metallic luster. Opaque as thin sheet. Solid at room temperature (except Hg).

Nonmetals: Poor conductors of heat and electricity. Brittle - if a solid. Nonductile. Do not possess metallic luster. Transparent as a thin sheet. Solids, liquids or gases at room temperature.

Metals

Metal is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light.[2] In a metal, atoms readily lose electrons to form positive ions (cations).

In the periodic table

Metals occupy most of the periodic table, while non-metallic elements can only be found on its right-hand side. A diagonal line, drawn from boron (B) to polonium (Po), separates the metals from the nonmetals. Most elements on this line are metalloids, sometimes called semiconductors. This is because these elements exhibit electrical properties common to both conductors and insulators. Elements to the lower left of this division line are called metals, while elements to the upper right of the division line are called nonmetals.

Metals are usually inclined to form cations through electron loss, reacting with oxygen in the air to form oxides over changing timescales (iron rusts over years, while potassium burns in seconds). Examples: 4 Na + O2 2 Na2O (sodium oxide) 2 Ca + O2 2 CaO (calcium oxide) 4 Al + 3 O2 2 Al2O3 (aluminium oxide).

The transition metals (such as iron, copper, zinc, and nickel) take much longer to oxidize. Others, like palladium, platinum and gold, do not react with the atmosphere at all. Some metals form a barrier layer of oxide on their surface which cannot be penetrated by further oxygen molecules and thus retain their shiny appearance and good conductivity for many decades (like aluminium, magnesium, some steels, and titanium).

Alloys

An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements in solid solution in which the major component is a metal. Most pure metals are either too soft, brittle or chemically reactive for practical use. Combining different ratios of metals as alloys modifies the properties of pure metals to produce desirable characteristics. The aim of making alloys is generally to make them less brittle, harder, resistant to corrosion, or have a more desirable color and luster. Copper alloys have been known since prehistory bronze gave the Bronze Age its nameand have many applications today, most importantly in electrical wiring.

Recycling of metals

Demand for metals is closely linked to economic growth. During the 20th century, the variety of metals uses in society grew rapidly. The result is that mining activities are expanding, and more and more of the worlds metal stocks are above ground in use, rather than below ground as unused reserves. Metals are inherently recyclable, so in principle, can be used over and over again, minimizing these negative environmental impacts and saving energy at the same time

Non-metals are not able to conduct electricity or heat very well. As opposed to metals, non-metallic elements are very brittle, and cannot be rolled into wires or pounded into sheets. The non-metals exist in two of the three states of matter at room temperature: gases (such as oxygen) and solids (such as carbon). The non-metals have no metallic luster, and do not reflect light.

Examples of non-metals
The Non-Metal elements are: Hydrogen Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Phosphorus Sulfur Selenium

Non-metals are the chemical opposites of metals. Metals form positively charged ions or cations; non-metals form negatively charged ions or anions.

Electrons

Non-metals are electronegative, which means that they are able to gain electrons when bonding with metals. Apart from the noble gases, the non-metal elements have incomplete outer electron shells, and so try to gain enough electrons to fill them. The noble gases do not react because they already have complete outer electron shells. The type of bonding where ions are formed is known as ionic bonding. Non-metals may also share electrons with other non-metal elements to complete their outer shell; this type of bonding is known as covalent bonding.

Properties of Metals and Non metal (and ionization energy)?

When a metal oxide react with water the following occurs : Na2O(s) + H2O(l) -> 2NaOH(aq) The oxygen generally ends up as the hydroxide ion, separate from the metal. When a non metal reacts with water the following occurs : CO2(g) + H2O(l) -> H2CO3(aq) The oxygen ends up as part of the nonmetal species.