Physical Properties of Metals and Nonmetals

Physical Properties of Metals

Physical Properties of Metals like Gold, silver, Copper, Aluminum, Potassium, etc., are as under : –

1. Malleable – Metals are malleable i.e, they can be beaten into thin sheets with a hammer.  For example, metals like Silver can be beaten into Silver foils which are used for decorating sheets. Similarly, metals like Aluminium can be beaten into Aluminium foils are used for packaging food items, medicines, etc.,
2. Ductile– Metals can be drawn into thin wires as they are ductile.
3. Good conductor of heat and electricity– Metals are good conductor of heat and electricity and therefore metals like copper and aluminium are used to make cooking utensils and water boilers. Similarly, electric wires are made of copper as copper   is a good conductor of electricity
4. Hard- Metals are generally hard except sodium and potassium which are soft. Metals are solid except mercury which is a liquid.
5. High Melting– Metals have high melting points. Exception – Gallium.
6. Sonorous– Metals are sonorous and make a ringing sound when they are struck. This the reason why they are used to make bells and wires of musical instrument.

Physical Properties of NonMetals

Physical properties of nonmetals like Carbon, Sulphur, Oxygen etc., are discussed as under : –

1. Brittle– Non-Metals are brittle. They are neither malleable nor ductile.
2. Bad conductor of heat and electricity– Non-Metals are bad conductor of heat and electricity. However, carbon, when it is in the form of graphite, is a good conductor of electricity.
3. Non Lustre– Non-Metals do not have lustre, except iodine.
4. Strong– Non-Metals are not strong. They are generally soft, except diamond which is a non-metal in form of carbon but is the hardest substance.
5. Solid or Liquid– Non-Metals may be solid or liquid. They are solid in the form of carbon and Sulphur, They are liquid in the form of  bromine or certain gases like oxygens, nitrogen, etc.,
6. Low Melting Point– Non-Metals have low melting point or boiling point, except graphite.
7. Non Sonorous– Non-Metals are not sonorous. This means that they don’t make a ringing sound when struck