Navigation
Exploring the properties of metals and where they live on the periodic table.
Have you ever wondered why a metal spoon gets hot in a bowl of soup, or why a soda can doesn't shatter like glass when you drop it?
Metals are a special family of elements that share some amazing 'superpowers' called physical properties. First, metals have luster, which means they are shiny and reflect light. Second, they have high conductivity. This means heat and electricity can flow through them easily—that is why wires are made of metal! Finally, metals are malleable. Unlike a glass cracker that snaps when you push it, metals can be hammered or rolled into thin sheets without breaking. Imagine a piece of aluminum foil; it started as a thick block and was squished into a thin wrap!
Let's look at the properties of a copper penny: 1. Luster: A new penny is very shiny and reflects the light in the room. 2. Malleability: If a heavy machine presses on a penny, it flattens out into a thin oval instead of shattering into dust. 3. Conductivity: If you held a penny near a heat source, it would quickly become warm to the touch.
Quick Check
If you can hammer a material into a flat sheet without it breaking, what property does it have?
Answer
Malleability
If the periodic table were a map of a city, metals would own almost all the land! Most elements—about of them—are metals. You can find them on the left side and in the center of the periodic table. There is a jagged 'staircase' line on the right side of the table that acts like a fence. Everything to the left of that fence (except for Hydrogen) is a metal. This includes famous groups like the 'Transition Metals' which sit right in the middle of the table.
To find a metal on the periodic table, follow these steps: 1. Look at the right side of the table for a bold, zig-zag line (the staircase). 2. Move your finger to the left of that line. 3. Any element your finger touches in the center or far left (like Iron or Gold) is a metal.
Quick Check
On which side of the periodic table are most metals found?
Answer
The left side and the center.
We use metals every single day because of their strength and abilities. Iron () is used to make the steel beams that hold up giant skyscrapers. Aluminum () is lightweight and used for soda cans and airplanes. Copper () is the champion of conductivity, which is why it is hidden inside the walls of your house in the form of electrical wiring. Even precious metals like Gold () are used, not just for jewelry, but inside smartphones because they are great at moving electrical signals!
Imagine you find an unknown element. It is located in the very center of the periodic table. It is shiny, and when you touch it to a battery, it lights up a bulb. 1. Because it is in the center, it is in the metal neighborhood. 2. Because it is shiny, it has luster. 3. Because it lights the bulb, it has conductivity. Conclusion: This element is definitely a metal!
Which property allows metal to be made into thin wires or foil?
Where would you look on the periodic table to find the 'Transition Metals'?
Metals are generally poor conductors of electricity.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, try to name the three 'superpowers' (properties) of metals while you are eating breakfast with a metal spoon.
Practice Activity
Go on a 'Metal Hunt' around your house. Find three objects made of metal and identify if they are being used for their strength, their shine, or their ability to carry heat.