What are the properties of metals?
In the last segment, we saw four properties of metals, namely metallic lustre, hardness, malleability and ductility. Some other properties of metals are:
- Good conductors of heat: Metals are good conductors of heat. They help transfer heat evenly through their entire surface and provide even heating.
- Good conductors of electricity: Electric wires are made up of metals as they are good conductors of electricity. Hence, they are coated with a rubber-like material. This rubber-like material acts as an insulator.
- Sonorous: Metals are sonorous. That is, they produce sound when hit against a hard surface. Thus, school bells, church bells, or the bells in a temple are made up of metals.
- High melting points: Metals have a high melting point, which means that they need a large amount of heat to melt it.
Some exceptions in metals
- Mercury is metal but is found in the liquid state at room temperature, unlike most metals which are solid.
- Two metals gallium and caesium have low melting points. They melt even when kept on the palm of the hand.
What are the properties of non-metals?
- Non-metals are non-lustrous.
- Non-metals are Hence, do not exhibit the properties of ductility and malleability.
- Non-metals are bad conductors of heat and electricity.
- Non-metals are non-sonorous.
 Some exceptions non-metals
- Iodine is a non-metal lustre which is technically the property of
- Carbon is a non-metal but its allotrope diamond is the hardest substance and has extremely high melting and boiling points. Allotropes are different physical forms in which an element can
Summary
| Properties of Metals |
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| Properties of Non-metals |
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Did you know?
The most abundant metal in the universe is iron.