METALS AND NONMETALS

Elements can be classified into the following two groups depending on their
physical and chemical properties:

1. Metals
2. Non-metals

Metals

• The elements which are hard, shiny can be beaten into sheets, drawn into
wires and are good conductor of heat and electricity are generally metals.
For example: iron, copper, gold etc.
• In nature most metals occur in the combined state as minerals and they are
reactive.
• Only a few unreactive metals like gold, silver, platinum are found as free
metals in the earth’s crust.
• Minerals from which metals can be profitably extracted are called ores. For
example: calcium occurs in limestone (calcium carbonate) or iron in the ore
haematite.
Physical properties of Metals:
1. Metals are solids at room temperature, except mercury, which is liquid at
room temperature.
2. They are generally hard and strong but sodium and potassium are soft solids
and can be cut with a knife.
3. They are good conductor of heat and electricity. Copper is the best
conductor of electricity followed by gold and aluminium.
4. Metals such as gold, silver and copper all have lustre, that is they have an
ability to shine and reflect light. Therefore they are lustrous.
5. The property by virtue of which metal can be beaten into sheets is called
malleability. We use aluminium foil to pack food.
6. The property by which metals can be drawn into wires is called ductility.
Metals like copper, silver and aluminium can be drawn into wires.
7. Metals are sonorous. They produce sound when struck.
8. With the exceptions of sodium, potassium and mercury most of the metals
have high melting and boiling point.
9. Metals have high densities.
10.Most metals have high tensile strength.

Non-metals
 • The elements which are brittle, dull cannot be beaten into sheets or drawn
into wires and are poor conductors of heat and electricity are generally non-
metals.
• For example: oxygen and nitrogen occur in free state in air and in combined
state in earth’s crust. Sulphur occurs both in free and the combined state in
earth’s crust.
• The noble gases, helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon occurs only in Free
State.
Physical properties of Non-metals:
1. Non-metals are gases or solid at room temperature, except bromine which is
liquid at room temperature.
2. Non-metals do not have lustre except iodine and graphite.
3. They are bad conductor of heat and electricity.
4. Non-metals are brittle that is they are neither malleable nor ductile.
5. They usually have low densities.
6. Non-metals have low melting point and boiling point.
7. Non-metals are non-sonorous.

Metalloids:

• The elements which possess the properties of metals and non-metals are
called metalloids.
• For example: boron, silicon, germanium, tellurium, arsenic and antimony are
metalloids.
Chemical properties of Metals and Non-metals:
Metals along with hydrogen (a non-metal) are arranged in order to their activity in
a series, called the activity series.

Reaction with oxygen:

Reaction of metals with oxygen:

Metals react with oxygen under different conditions to form basic oxides. These
basic oxides react with water to form bases which turn red litmus into blue.
Sodium and potassium react with oxygen vigorously at room temperature.
4Na+O2→2Na2O4Na+O2→2Na2O
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=DZYX0iDc0hA&feature=emb_logo
To prevent this oxidation, sodium and potassium are stored under kerosene.
Magnesium reacted with oxygen only if ignited. It gives a bright dazzling flame
and forms a white powder of magnesium oxide.
2Mg+O2→2MgO2Mg+O2→2MgO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaBUHS5dJhQ
Iron metal does not burn in dry air even on strong heating. In moist air, iron get
oxidise to form iron oxide

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=qd2B9yCKzc0&feature=emb_logo

(rust)
4Fe+3O2→2Fe2O34Fe+3O2→2Fe2O3
Fe2O3+nH2O→Fe2O3.nH2OFe2O3+nH2O→Fe2O3.nH2O

Reaction of non-metals with oxygen:

Non-metals react with oxygen to form acidic or neutral oxides.

C+O2→CO2C+O2→CO2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=ONp4NwT3O7U&feature=emb_logo
S+O2→SO2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=SJUX6sJMCG0&feature=emb_logo

Other oxides like carbon monoxide (CO)(CO) and nitrous oxide (N2O)(N2O) are
neutral.

Reaction with water:

Reaction of metal with water:

Metal react with water, then a metal hydroxide and hydrogen gas are formed

Metal + Water-----------------Metal hydroxide + Hydrogen

Some metals react vigorously even with cold water, some metals react with hot
water, some metals react with steam where as some metals do not react even with
steam.
Sodium, potassium and calcium react vigorously with cold water to form metal
hydroxides.

The metals like zinc and iron are less reactive which reacts slowly even with
steam.

The metals like silver and gold are so unreactive that they do not react with water
or steam.

Sodium metal reacts violently with cold water forming sodium hydroxide solution
and hydrogen gas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrQ5C0GDVhs

Sodium + water→ Sodium hydroxide + hydrogen

iron react with steam to form metal oxide and hydrogen gas.

Iron + water (g) → Iron oxide + hydrogen

Tin, lead, copper, silver and gold do not react with water or steam.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=58&v=pJPYk5jgjo4&feature=em
b_logo

Reaction of non-metal with water:

Generally, non-metals do not react with water though they may be very reactive in
air. Such non-metals are stored in water. For example, phosphorus is a very
reactive non-metal. It catches fire if exposed to air. To prevent the contact of
phosphorus with atmospheric oxygen, it is stored in water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Om-pHYaDU
Reaction with acids:

Reaction of metals with dilute acids:

Metals react with dilute acids to form their salt and liberate hydrogen gas.

Metal + Acid ----> Salt + Hydrogen

Magnesium metal reacts with dilute Hydrochloric acid to form Magnesium

Chloride and Hydrogen gas. This reaction can be written as

Magnesium + Hydrochloric acid ----→ Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen

The Hydrogen gas burns with a pop sound when the lighted match stick is brought
near the mouth of test tube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afxwDTz_JTk

Reaction of non-metals with dilute acids:

Non-metals do not react with dilute acid

Reactions with Bases:

Some metals react with bases to form salts and hydrogen gas.

Metal + Base → salt + hydrogen

Sodium hydroxide + aluminium → sodium aluminate + hydrogen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=32&v=NBy3m-SLVuE&feature=emb_logo

Reactivity series:
Displacement reactions:

A more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from its compound in
aqueous solution. Such a reaction is known as displacement reaction.
For example: When iron nail put in copper sulphate solution then colour of
solution changes from blue to light green and a reddish brown coating of copper is
seen on iron nail.

Iron + Copper Sulphate (blue)→Iron Sulphate (green)+ copper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ctvPrAwbPY

Copper sulphate (CuSO4 ) + Zinc granule (Zn) → Zinc sulphate (ZnSO4 ) +

Copper (Cu)

Copper sulphate (CuSO4 ) + Iron nail (Fe) → :Iron sulphate (FeSO4 ) + Copper
(Cu

Zinc sulphate (ZnSO4 ) + Copper turnings (Cu) → no displacement reaction

Iron sulphate (FeSO4 ) + Copper turnings (Cu) → no displacement reaction

 Zinc sulphate (ZnSO4 ) + Iron nail (Fe) → no displacement reaction

Uses of metals and non-metals:

Uses of metals:

1. Copper and aluminium are used to make wires for carrying electric currents.
2. Zinc is used for galvanising iron to protect iron from rusting.
3. Silver, gold and platinum are used make jewellery.
4. Iron, copper and aluminium metals are used to make utensils for cooking and for
manufacturing machines parts.
5. Mercury is used in thermometer.

Uses of non-metals:
1. Hydrogen is used in manufacture of ammonia, industrial chemicals.
2. Liquid nitrogen is used in refrigerant, in storing human organs at low
temperature.
3. Sulphur is used in manufacture of sulphuric acid, sulphur dioxide gas,
sulphur drugs etc.
4. Phosphorus is used in the manufacture of fertilisers.
5. Chlorine is used for disinfecting drinking water.
6. Oxygen is used in breathing support system for patients.