Metals vs. Non-metals Overview Quiz

Metals and Non-metals refer to two distinct classes of matter with different chemical and physical characteristics. Here's a brief overview of their key differences and properties:

Metallic Elements: These elements have several common properties. They tend to be solid at room temperature and typically shiny when clean. Metals conduct heat well due to having free electrons which can move around within the structure easily, creating good electrical conduction too. Many metals react quickly with oxygen in air forming oxides, such as rust. A group of atoms together makes up what is known as a crystal lattice, giving metals strength against outside forces. This also means they can be melted into liquid form by heating them, allowing them to be shaped using techniques like casting, molding, pressing and hammering. After shaping, if the metal cools down slowly enough, it will return to its original state without changing shape.

Non-metallic Elements: In contrast, non-metals are generally dull in appearance, do not usually reflect light well, and do not conduct electricity as well as metals do. At normal temperatures, most non-metals are gases or liquids rather than solids. However, some exceptions exist like graphite and diamond being forms of carbon, one of which is very hard while the other is soft. Most non-metal compounds combine chemically with many other types of substances much more readily than do metals. They burn easily because burning involves combining the substance rapidly with large amounts of oxygen from the surrounding air. Some non-metallic materials expand greatly when heated and may turn into gas. Others shrink slightly. Examples of non-metals include hydrogen, chlorine, bromine, iodine, sulfur, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, tellurium, radon, selenium, polonium, and borax.

The chemical reactivity of these two groups differs significantly. Reactions involving metals often result in changes between states of matter, while reactions involving non-metals produce roughly equal quantities of new substances on both sides of the equation. When you mix pieces of iron or copper with water, nothing happens because neither metal reacts with water. But when you rub aluminum foil over a piece of charcoal made from sawdust, sparks fly out, indicating a reaction has taken place. Copper does react with strong acids, however; this reaction produces bubbles of hydrogen gas which float away from the surface where the acid was touching the copper.

Metallic elements are used in making things like alloy steels, stainless steel, bronze, brass, wrought iron, cast iron, gun metal, malleable iron etc., each requiring either just one kind of metal or else only small amounts of others added to change how the main metal behaves. For instance, adding zinc to white tin turns it brownish red, causing it to set faster when cooled off again after heating. Adding small bits of silver makes lead harder for longer periods before melting point gets reached once more.

In summary, metals and non-metals differ greatly in terms of their properties and behavior. Metals exhibit high tensile strengths and ductility, whereas non-metals tend to be weaker and less pliable. Metal alloys are created to take advantage of specific qualities inherent in certain mixtures of metals. Understanding these distinctions allows us to better utilize different materials to meet various needs across industries ranging from engineering to construction and beyond.