Chemistry

Matter in Our Surroundings

Comparison Among the Properties of Metals and Non-Metals

Metals	Non-Metals
1.Metals are malleable and ductile. That is,metals can be hammered into thin sheets and drawn into thin wires. 2.Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity. 3.Metals are lustrous (shiny) and can be polished. 4. Metals are solids at room temperature (except mercury which is a liquid metal). 5. Metals are strong and tough.They have high tensile strength. 6.Metals are sonorous. They make a ringing sound when struck.	1.Non-metals are brittle. They are neither malleable nor ductile. 2. Non-metals are bad conductors of heat and electricity (except diamond which is a good conductor of heat, and graphite which is a good conductor of electricity). 3. Non-metals are non-lustrous (dull) and cannot be polished (except iodine which is a lustrous non-metal). 4. Non-metals may be solid, liquid or gases at the room temperature. 5.Non-metals are not strong. They have low tensile strength. 6.Non-metals are not sonorous.

Metals

Non-Metals

1.Metals are malleable and ductile. That is,metals can be hammered into thin sheets and drawn into thin wires.
2.Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity.
3.Metals are lustrous (shiny) and can be polished.
4. Metals are solids at room temperature (except mercury which is a liquid metal).
5. Metals are strong and tough.They have high tensile strength.
6.Metals are sonorous. They make a ringing sound when struck.

1.Non-metals are brittle. They are neither malleable nor ductile.
2. Non-metals are bad conductors of heat and electricity (except diamond which is a good conductor of heat, and graphite which is a good conductor of electricity).
3. Non-metals are non-lustrous (dull) and cannot be polished (except iodine which is a lustrous non-metal).
4. Non-metals may be solid, liquid or gases at the room temperature.
5.Non-metals are not strong. They have low tensile strength.
6.Non-metals are not sonorous.

An element can be identified as being d metal or a non-metal by comparing its properties with the general properties of metals and non-metals. While doing so we should, hoWfever, keep the various exceptions to the general properties of metals and non-metals in mind. We will now answer one question based on metals and non-metals. Sample Problem.
Answer.
State two reasons for believing that copper is a metal and sulphur is a non-metal.
The two properties which tell us that copper is a metal and sulphur is a non-metal are given below :

Copper	Sulphur
1.Copper is malleable and ductile. It can be hammered into thin sheets and drawn into wires. 2.Copper is a good conductor of heat and electricity.	1.Sulphur is neither malleable nor ductile. It is brittle. Sulphur breaks into pieces when hammered or stretched. 2.Sulphur is a bad conductor of heat and electricity.

Notes

Matter in Our Surroundings - Notes

1. 9. Non-Metals Have Low Densities.