7.

Metals and Nonmetals

1. What are the three types in which the elements are generally
Can you recall? classified?
2. What are the metals and nonmetals that we use in everyday life?

All the objects or materials in the world are made from elements, compounds or their
mixtures. Scientists classified all the elements into three general types which are metals,
nonmetals and metalloids.
Metals : Gold, silver, iron, copper, 4. Ductility : Have you ever gone to a
aluminium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, goldsmith’s shop ? Have you seen the
platinum are a few metals. Metals have goldsmith making a wire of gold or silver?
lustre. The metals are hard. Wire or sheet When a metal is pulled through a hole its
can be from them made metal. Metals are wire is formed. This property of metal is
good conductors of heat and electricity. called ductility.
Metals lose their valence electrons to 5. Malleability : Take an iron nail. Place
produce positively charged ions, that is, it on a platform and keep on hammering
cations. it. After sometime you will see a thin sheet
Physical Properties of Metals forming. This property is called malleability
1. Physical State : Under ordinary of metals.
temperature metals stay in solid state. 6. Conduction of Heat : Take a copper
However metals like mercury and gallium plate. Fix some wax at one of its ends. Heat
are exception, which are in liquid state even the other end and observe what happens.
at room temperature. Discuss with teacher.
Metals are good conductors of heat. Silver,
copper and aluminium are the best conductors
Can you recall?
of heat.

You might have seen a doctor’s pressure 7. Conduction of Electricity : Which metals
gauge to measure blood pressure, during are used to make electrical wires? Metals are
your visit to a dispensary, accompanying good conductors of electricity. Lead is an
your relative. In that, you might have seen exception, which is neither a good conductor
a grey coloured liquid in a glass tube. What of heat nor a good conductor of elctricity.
is that metal? 8. Density : Metals have high density
2. Lustre : Take copper vessels at your Sodium, potassium and lithium are exception,
home. Scrub them with lemon and rinse with having lower density then water. The density
water. Observe the lustre before and after of lithium is only 0.53 g/cc.
cleaning. Light gets reflected from the 9. Melting point & Boiling Point : Generally
cleaned or freshly cut surface of metal and metals have high melting points and boiling
the metal looks lustrous. points. Exceptions : Hg, Ga, Na, K.
3. Hardness : Generally metals are hard, 10. Sonority : What is the metal that your
not soft. Exception : Sodium and potassium school bell is made of ? How does a bell is
are soft and can be easily cut by a knife. function? Metals are sonorous. They produce
sound on striking.

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Nonmetals : Carbon, Sulphur, Phosphorus Metalloids : Some elements such as arsenic
are a few nonmetals. Generally nonmetals (As), Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge),
are brittle and nonlustrous. Antimony (Sb) have properties which are
Physical Properties of nonmetals : intermediate between metals and nonmetals.
Such elements are called metalloids.
1. Physical State : At ordinary temperature
nonmetals occur as solids, liquids and gases. Chemical properties of Metals
For example : Solids : C, S, P; Liquids : Br2; a. Electronic configuration : Electronic
Gases : H2, N2, O2 configuration is the basis of chemical
2. Lustre : Nonmetals do not have lustre, behaviour of elements. Majority of metals
except diamond and iodine crystals. Some have upto three electrons in their outermost
nonmetals are colourless while others have shell.
different colours. What is the colour of Metal Atomic Electronic
carbon in the form of coal ? Sulphur is number configuration
yellow and bromine is brown.
11
Na 11 2, 8, 1
3. Brittleness : Take coal and hammer it.
See what happens to it. Solid nonmetals are Mg 12 2, 8, 2
12
brittle. Some nonmetals are soft. Diamond
(an allotrope of carbon) is an exception,
Al 13 2, 8, 3
which is the hardest natural substance. 13

4. Ductility & Malleability : Non metals are b. Formation of ions : Metals have a
neither ductile nor malleable. tendency to lose their valence electrons to
form positively charged ions, that is, cations.
5. Conduction of Heat & Electricity : Non
metals are bad conductors of heat and Na Na+ + le-
electricity, except graphite (an allotrope of (2,8,1) (2,8)
carbon) which is a very good conductor of Sodium Sodium ion
electricity. Mg Mg++ + 2e-
6. Density : Nonmetals have low densities.
(2,8,2) (2,8)
Magnesium Magnesium ion
7. Melting & Boiling Point : Nonmetals
have low melting and boiling points. Al Al+++ + 3e-
Exceptions : the solid nonmetals carbon and (2,8,3) (2,8)
boron melt at high temperature. Aluminium Aluminium ion

c. Reaction with oxygen : Metals combine

with oxygen to form their oxides.
Metal + Oxygen Metal oxide
Always remember
The metal oxides are basic in nature.
1. Gold, Silver, Aluminium are highly Metal oxides react with an acid to form salt
malleable metals. and water.
2. A sheet with thickness 1/10,000 mm Metal oxide + Acid Salt + Water
and a wire with diameter 1/5000 mm
can be made from gold.

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d. Reaction with acid : Take dilute Cl + e- Cl-
hydrochloric acid in a test tube. Then add (2, 8, 7) (2, 8, 8)
zinc dust to it. Take a glowing splinter near Chlorine Chloride ion
the mouth of the tube. Observe the glowing O + 2e -
O- -
splinter. You will notice some sound coming (2, 6) (2, 8)
out from it. Oxygen Oxide ion
Most of the metals react with dilute N + 3e- N- - -
acids to form metal salts while hydrogen gas (2, 5) (2, 8)
is released. Nitrogen Nitride ion
Metal + dilute Acid Salt + Hydrogen gas. c. Reaction with oxygen : Nonmetals
e. Reaction with water : Most metals do not combine with oxygen to form their oxides.
show any observable and fast reaction with
cold water. But some metals like sodium and Nonmetal + oxygen Nonmetal oxide
potassium react with cold water to produce The oxides of nonmetals are acidic in
their hydroxides and hydrogen gas. nature. They react with bases to form soluble
magnesium metal requires steam to give salt and water.
similar reactions. C + O2 CO2
Chemical properties of nonmetals
CO2 + 2NaOH Na2CO3 + H2O
a. Electronic configuration : Most of the
nonmetals have 4 to 7 electrons in their The oxides of nonmetals react with
valence shells. water to form an acid.

Electronic con- CO2 + H2O H2 CO3 Carbonic acid

Nonmetal Atomic number
figuration SO2 + H2O H2 SO3 Sulphurous acid
SO3 + H2O H2 SO4 Sulphuric acid
7
N 7 2, 5
d. Nonmetals do not react with dilute
8
O 8 2, 6 acids.

17
Cl 17 2, 8, 7

b. Formation of ions : Non metals have a

tendency to accept electrons in their valence
shell to form negatively charged ions called
anions.

Uses of metals and nonmetals

Make a list and discuss Prepare a list of the uses of metals and nonmetals in our
everyday life.
Name of metal Use Name of nonmetal Use

While studying chemical properties of metals it is found that

Can you recall?
gold or silver do not react readily.

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Noble Metal : Some metals like gold, silver,
platinum, paladium and rhodium are noble Do you know?
metals. They occur in nature in the elemental
state. Gold which is100 percent pure is called There is a statue of
24 carat gold. Pure gold is soft. As a result Liberty in the sea near New
the ornaments made from pure gold bend or york city in America. The
break due to pressure. Therefore goldsmiths original surface of their
mix it with certain proportion of copper or statues was made of copper.
silver. Ornaments are made from 22 carat But now it, looks green. This
gold or gold with still smaller carat value. is because green coloured
copper carbonate has been
Uses of Noble metals :
formed by a reaction of
1. Gold, silver and platinum are used to
copper with the carbon
prepare ornaments.
dioxide and moisture in the
2. Silver used in medicines. (It has
air. This is an example of
antibacterial property).
corrosion.
3. Gold and silver also use to make medals.
4. Gold and silver also used to make few
electronic devices.
5. Platinum, palladium metals are used as Make a list and discuss
catalyst.
Purity of Gold : Prepare a list of the examples of
When we ask rate of gold in gold shop, it corrosion in your everyday life.
always differ ? Why is it ? Gold is a noble A reddish coloured deposit is formed on
metal, in nature it occurs in element form. iron by reaction with oxygen gas. A greenish
100% pure gold is 24 carat. Pure gold is soft. coloured deposit is formed on copper by
Therefore gold ornaments prepared by pure reaction with carbondioxide gas. A blackish
gold may break or bend due to pressure. coloured deposit is formed on silver by
Hence gold-smith add specific amount of reaction with hydrogen sulphide gas. To
copper or silver in pure gold. To prepare prevent corrosion of metals, layers of oil,
ornaments 22 carat gold is used. grease, varnish and paint are applied on
Carat Percentage them. Also plating with another noncorroding
24 100 metal is done. Iron is arrested by zinc
plating. Due to these processes the contact of
22 91.66
metal surface with air is lost and corrosion
18 75.00 cannot occur as the chemical reaction cannot
14 58.33 occur.
12 50.00 Alloy : A homogeneous mixture of two
10 41.66 or more metals or a homogeneous mixture
metal with nonmetals is called alloy. Alloys
Corrosion : Gases in the air react with are made by mixing the constituent elements
metals in presence of moisture to form metal in as per the requirement. For example, the
compounds. The metals get affected by this stainless steel utensils used at home are
process and undergo what is called corrosion. made of an alloy of iron with carbon,
chromium and nickel. The alloy bronze is
formed from copper and tin.
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 Do you know? Do you know?

There is an iron A cheap variety of stainless steel is

pillar in the premices made sometimes by using copper instead
of Kutubminar in of costly nickel. You might have seen the
Delhi, made about vertical cracks in stainless steel vessels.
1500 year ago. The The reason is as above.
pillar is lustrous even
after so many years.
This is becasuse our
Discuss
ansestors had made it
from an alloy. You might be knowing scrap dealers.
It contains small proportion of carbon, What do they do with the scrap ? Why is
silicon and phosphorus mixed in iron. this needed ?

Exercises
1. Complete the table 5. Three experiments to study the process
Property of metal Use in everyday life of rusting are given below. Observe the
i. Ductility three test tubes and answer the following
ii. Malleability questions.
iii. Conduction of heat
iv. Conduction of electricity air
v. Sonority
dry air
2. Identify the odd term oil
a. Gold, silver, iron, diamond water boiled
b. Ductility, brittelness, sonority, rusted water calcium
nail chloride
malleability
Test tube 1 Test tube 2 Test tube 3
c. Carbon, bromine, sulphur, phosphorus
a. Why the nail in the test tube 2 is not
d. Brass, bronze, iron, steel
rusted ?
3. Write scientific reasons. b. Why is the nail in the test tube 1 is rusted
a. The stainless steel vessels in kitchen highly?
have copper coating on the bottom. c. Would the nail in the test tube 3 get
b. Copper and brass vessels are cleaned rusted ?
with lemon.
Project :
c. Sodium metal is kept in kerosene.
How is the 'Varkha' or sliver foil used in
4. Answer the following. sweets made ? Collect the information
a. What is done to prevent corrosion of about which metals are used to make
metals? 'Varkha'.
b. What are the metals that make the alloys
brass and bronze?
c. What are the adverse effects of corrosion?
d. What are uses of Noble metals?

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