Metals and Nonmetals

Content

• Differences between metals and non-metals
• Examples of metals
• Examples of non-metals

All known matter is made up of atoms, from 112 chemical elements that make up the periodic table. These elements are classified, according to their nature and properties, in metals and non-metals.

Only 25 of the 112 elements are metallic, generally coming from minerals and with electrical properties and interactions thoroughly studied by inorganic chemistry. On the other hand, the rest of the elements, the non-metallic ones, are necessary for life and make up the different forms of known organic matter.

Differences between metals and non-metals

Metals and non-metals are distinguished in their fundamental properties and their types of possible reactions.

• The metals are, with the exception of mercury, solids at room temperature. They are glossy, more or less ductile and malleable, and they are good conductors of electricity and heat. In contact with oxygen or acids, they oxidize and corrode (loss of electrons) since their outer layers have a low incidence of electrons (3 or less).
• The no metalsinstead, they are usually poor conductors of electricity and heat, of very varied appearances and melting points usually well below metals. Many exist only in biatomic (molecular) formula, can be soft like sulfur or hard like diamond, and can be found in any of the three states of matter: gaseous, liquid and solid. In addition, their appearance does not usually reflect light and they can have different colors.

Lastly, metallic elements are usually united by electromagnetic relationships (charged ions), while non-metallic elements form complex molecular structures through bonds of various kinds (hydrogen, peptide, etc.). Hence the organic chemistry or of life is that of the latter, although living bodies are made up of combinations of both types of elements.

Examples of metals

1. Iron (Fe). Also called ironIt is one of the most abundant metals in the earth's crust, which makes up the very heart of the planet, where it is in a liquid state. Its most striking property, apart from its hardness and brittleness, is its great ferromagnetic capacity. Through alloying it with carbon it is possible to obtain steel.
2. Magnesium (Mg). The third most abundant element on earth, both in its crust and dissolved in the seas, it never occurs in nature in pure state, but as ions in salts. It is essential for life, usable for alloys and highly flammable.
3. Gold (Au). A bright, soft yellow precious metal that does not react with most chemical substances except for cyanide, mercury, chlorine, and bleach. Throughout history it played a vital role in human economic culture, as a symbol of wealth and support for currencies.
4. Silver (Ag). Another of the precious metals is white, bright, ductile and malleable, it is found in nature as part of various minerals or as pure stalks of the element, since it is very common in the earth's crust. It is the best conductor of heat and electricity known.
5. Aluminum (Al). Very light, non-ferromagnetic metal, the third most abundant in the earth's crust. It is highly valued in the industrial and iron and steel trades, since through alloys it is possible to obtain variants of greater resistance but that retain their versatility. Has a low density and very good resistance to corrosion.
6. Nickel (Ni). Very white metal ductile and very malleable, a good conductor of electricity and heat, as well as being ferromagnetic. It is one of the dense metals, along with iridium, osmium, and iron. It is vital for life, as it is part of many enzymes Y protein.
7. Zinc (Zn). It is a transition metal similar to cadmium and magnesium, often used in galvanization processes, that is, protective coating of other metals. It is very resistant to cold plastic deformation, which is why it is worked above 100 ° C.
8. Lead (Pb). The only element capable of stopping radioactivity is lead. It is a very particular element, given its unique molecular flexibility, ease of melting and relative resistance to strong acids such as sulfuric or hydrochloric.
9. Tin (Sn). Heavy and easy metal oxidation, used in many alloys to provide resistance to corrosion. When bent, it produces a very distinctive sound that has been dubbed the "tin cry."
10. Sodium (Na). Sodium is a soft, silvery alkali metal found in sea salt and the mineral halite. It is highly reactive, oxidizable, and has a violent exothermic reaction when mixed with water. It is one of the vital components of known living organisms.

Examples of non-metals

1. Hydrogen (H). The most common and abundant element in the universe, it is a gas that is found both in the atmosphere (as a diatomic molecule H₂) as forming part of the vast majority of organic compounds, and also burning by fusion in the heart of the stars. It is also the lightest element, odorless, colorless and insoluble in water.
2. Oxygen (O). Indispensable for life and used by animals for their processes of obtaining energy (respiration), this gas (O₂) highly reactive form oxides with almost all the elements of the periodic table except the noble gases. It forms almost half the mass of the earth's crust and is vital for the appearance of water (H₂OR).
3. Carbon (C). The central element of all organic chemistry, common to all known living beings and part of more than 16 million compounds that require it. It is found in nature in three different forms: carbon, graphite, and diamonds, which have the same number of atoms, but arranged in different ways. Together with oxygen it forms carbon dioxide (CO₂) essential for photosynthesis.
4. Sulfur (S). A soft element, abundant and with a characteristic smell, it is common to the activity of almost all living organisms, and abundant in volcanic contexts. Yellowish and insoluble in water, it is essential for organic life and extremely useful in industrial processes.
5. Phosphorus (P). Despite never being in a native state in nature, it is an indispensable part of many organic compounds and of the living beings, such as DNA and RNA, or ATP. It is very reactive and in contact with oxygen it emits light.
6. Nitrogen (N). Normally diatomic gas (N₂) that constitutes 78% of the air in the atmosphere and is present in numerous organic substances such as ammonia (NH₃), despite being a low reactivity gas compared to hydrogen or oxygen.
7. Helium (He). The second most frequent element in the universe, especially as a product of the stellar fusion of hydrogen, from which heavier elements arise. It's about a Noble gas, that is to say, almost zero reactivity, colorless, odorless and very light, often used as insulating or as a refrigerant, in its liquid form.
8. Chlorine (Cl). Chlorine in its purest form is a highly toxic yellowish gas (Cl) with an unpleasant odor. However, it is abundant in nature and is part of many organic and inorganic substances, many of which are essential for life. Together with hydrogen, it forms hydrochloric acid (HCl), one of the most powerful that exists.
9. Iodine (I). Element of the group of halogens, it is not very reactive and electronegative, despite which it is used in medicine, in photographic arts and as a colorant. Despite being a non-metal, it has curious metallic characteristics and is reactive to mercury and sulfur.
10. Selenium (Se). Insoluble in water and alcohol, but soluble in ether and carbon disulfide, this element has photoelectric properties (it converts light into electricity) and is a necessary part of the manufacture of glass. It is also a nutrient for all forms of life, essential for many amino acids and present in many foods.