Metals v non-metals
Most elements are metals, rather than non-metals. The table summarises some differences in their properties.
Properties
| Metals | Non-metals | |
| Appearance | Shiny | Dull |
| State at room temperature | Solid (except mercury, which is a liquid) | About half are solids, about half are gases, and one (bromine) is a liquid |
| Density | High (they feel heavy for their size) | Low (they feel light for their size) |
| Strength | Strong | Weak |
| Malleable or brittle | Malleable (they bend without breaking) | Brittle (they break or shatter when hammered) |
| Conduction of heat | Good | Poor (they are insulators) |
| Conduction of electricity | Good | Poor (they are insulators, apart from graphite) |
| Magnetic material | Only iron, cobalt and nickel | None |
| Sound when hit | They make a ringing sound (they are sonorous) | They make a dull sound |
| Type of oxide | Basic or alkaline | Acidic |
| Appearance | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Shiny |
| Non-metals | Dull |
| State at room temperature | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Solid (except mercury, which is a liquid) |
| Non-metals | About half are solids, about half are gases, and one (bromine) is a liquid |
| Density | |
|---|---|
| Metals | High (they feel heavy for their size) |
| Non-metals | Low (they feel light for their size) |
| Strength | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Strong |
| Non-metals | Weak |
| Malleable or brittle | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Malleable (they bend without breaking) |
| Non-metals | Brittle (they break or shatter when hammered) |
| Conduction of heat | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Good |
| Non-metals | Poor (they are insulators) |
| Conduction of electricity | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Good |
| Non-metals | Poor (they are insulators, apart from graphite) |
| Magnetic material | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Only iron, cobalt and nickel |
| Non-metals | None |
| Sound when hit | |
|---|---|
| Metals | They make a ringing sound (they are sonorous) |
| Non-metals | They make a dull sound |
| Type of oxide | |
|---|---|
| Metals | Basic or alkaline |
| Non-metals | Acidic |
Telling them apart
Notice that metals and non-metals have opposite properties to each other. It is usually easy to tell metals and non-metals apart, but some tests are more reliable than others.
For example, using a magnet is not a good test to see if an element is a metal. This is because only three metals are magnetic.