Metals and Non-Metals

MRS.
SHAILJA NIGAM

Introduction
About 118 elements are known today. There are more than 90 metals,22 non
metals and a few metalloids.

→ Elements can be classified as metals and non-metals on the basis of their

properties.

• Examples of some metals are: Iron (Fe), Aluminium (Al), Silver (Ag), Copper
(Cu)

• Examples of some non-metals are: Hydrogen (H), Nitrogen (N), Sulphur (S),
Oxygen (O)

Physical Properties

Property Metals Non-Metals

They do not have shining

surface.
1. Lustre Metals have shining surface. • Except Iodine.

They are generally hard. Generally soft.

• Except Sodium, Lithium and • Except Diamond, a form of
2. Hardness Potassium which are soft and can carbon which is the hardest
be cut with knife. natural substance.

Exist as solids. Exist as solids or gaseous.

3. State • Except Mercury. • Except Bromine.

Metals can be beaten into thin

sheets.
• Gold and Silver are the most
4. Malleability malleable metals. Non-metals are non-malleable.

Metals can be drawn into thin

5. Ductility wires. They are non-ductile.

6. Conductor of Metals are good conductors of heat Non-metals are poor conductor
 and electricity.
• Silver (Ag) and Copper (Cu):
Best conductors of heat.
• Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg) poor of heat and electricity.
heat & electricity conductor of heat. • Except Graphite.

Generally have high density and

high melting point. Have low density and low
7. Density • Except Sodium and Potassium. melting point.

Metals produce a sound on striking

8. Sonorous a hard surface. They are not sonorous.

Non-metallic oxides are acidic

9. Oxides Metallic oxides are basic in nature. in nature.

Chemical Properties of Metals

• Reaction of metals with air

→ Metals combine with oxygen to form metal oxide.

Metal + O2 → Metal oxide

Examples:
(i) 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO
Copper oxide (black)
(ii) 4Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3
Aluminium oxide
(iii) 2Mg + O 2 → 2MgO

The reactivity of different metals are different with O 2.

→ Na and K react so vigorously that they catch fire if kept in open so they are
kept immersed in kerosene.

→ Surfaces of Mg, Al, Zn, Pb are covered with a thin layer of oxide which
prevent them from further oxidation.
→ Fe does not burn on heating but iron fillings burn vigorously.

→ Cu does not burn but is coated with black copper oxide.

→ Au and Ag does not react with oxygen.
→ Amphoteric Oxides: Metal oxides which react with both acids as well as
bases to produce salts and water are called amphoteric oxides.

Examples:
(i) Al2O3 + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + H2O

(ii) Al2O3 + 2NaOH → 2NaAlO2 + H2O

Sodium Aluminate

• Reaction of metals with water

→ Metal + Water → Metal oxide + Hydrogen

→ Metal oxide + Water → Metal hydroxide

Examples:

(i) 2Na + 2H2O → 2NaOH + H2 + Heat

(ii) Ca + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2 + H2
(iii) Mg + 2H2O → Mg(OH)2 + H2
(iv) 2Al + 3H2O → Al2O3 + 3H2
(v) 3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + 4H2

• Reaction of metals with acids (Dilute)

→ Metal + Dilute acid → Salt + H2
→ Cu, Ag, Hg do not react with dil. acids.

Examples:

(i) Fe + 2HCl → FeCl2 + H2

(ii) Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2+ H2
(iii) Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl2 + H2

(iv) 2Al + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2

• Reaction of Metals with Solutions of other Metal Salts

→ Metal A + Salt solution B → Salt solution A + Metal B

→ Reactive metals can displace less reactive metals from their compounds in
solution form.

Fe + CuSO4→ FeSO4 + Cu

Reactivity Series

The reactivity series is a list of metals arranged in

the order of their decreasing activities.

• Reaction of Metals with Non-metals

→ Reactivity of elements is the tendency to attain a completely filled valence
shell.
→ Atoms of the metals lose electrons from their valence shell to form cation.
Atom of the non-metals gain electrons in the valence shell to form anion.

E.g.: Formation of NaCl

Na → Na+ + e-
2, 8, 1 2, 8

Sodium cation
Cl + e- → Cl-
2, 8, 7 2, 8, 8

Chloride anion

Ionic compounds

The compounds formed by the transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-

metal are called ionic compounds or electrovalent compounds.

• Properties of Ionic Compounds

(i) Physical nature: They are solid and hard, generally brittle.

(ii) Melting and Boiling Point: They have high melting and boiling point.

(iii) Solubility : Generally soluble in water and insoluble in solvents such as

kerosene, petrol etc.

(iv) Conduction of electricity : Ionic compounds conduct electricity in molten

and solution form but not in solid state.

• Occurrence of Metals

(i) Minerals: The elements or compounds which occur naturally in the earth’s
crust are called minerals.
(ii) Ores: Minerals that contain very high percentage of particular metal and
the metal can be profitably extracted from it, such minerals are called ores.

Extraction of Metals from Ores

Step 1. Enrichment of ores

Step 2. Extraction of metals.
Step 3. Refining of metals.

Steps Involved in Extraction of Metals from Ores

Gangue → Roasting → Calcination → Reduction

• Important terms

(a) Gangue : Ores are usually contaminated with large amount of impurities
such as soil, sand etc. called gangue.

(b) Roasting : The sulphide ores are converted into oxides by heating strongly
in the presence of excess air. This process is called roasting.
2ZnS + 3O2 →(Heast) 2ZnO + 2SO2

(c) Calcination : The carbonate ores are changed into oxides by heating
strongly in limited air. This process is called calcination.
ZnCO3 →(Heat) ZnO + CO2

(d) Reduction : Metal oxides are reduced to corresponding metals by using

reducing agent like carbon.
ZnO + C → Zn + CO

• Refining of metals

The most widely used method for refining impure metal is electrolytic
refining.

(i) Anode : Impure copper

(ii) Cathode : Strip of pure copper

(iii) Electrolyte : Solution of acidified copper sulphate

→ On passing the current through electrolyte, the impure metal from anode
dissolves into the electrolyte.

→ An equivalent amount of pure metal from the electrolyte is deposited at

the cathode.

→ The insoluble impurities settle down at the bottom of the anode and is
called anode mud.

Corrosion

The surface of some metals get corroded when they are exposed to moist air
for a long period of time. This is called corrosion.

Examples:

(i) Silver becomes black when exposed to air as it reacts with air to form a
coating of silver sulphide.

(ii) Copper reacts with moist carbon dioxide in the air and gains a green coat
of copper carbonate.

(iii) Iron when exposed to moist air acquires a coating of a brown flaky
substance called rust.

• Prevention of Corrosion

→The rusting of iron can be prevented by painting, oiling, greasing,

galvanizing, chrome plating, anodizing or making alloys.

→ Galvanization : It is a method of protecting steel and iron from rusting by

coating them with a thin layer of zinc.

→ Alloy : An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals or a metal

and a non- metal.

→ Examples of alloy:

(i) Iron : Mixed with small amount of carbon becomes hard and strong.
(ii) Steel : Iron + Nickel and chromium
(iii) Brass : Copper + Zinc
(iv) Bronze : Copper + Tin (Sn)
(v) Solder : Lead + tin
(vi) Amalgam : If one of the metal is mercury (Hg).