The concept of "metals" all imagine one way or another. Iron, silver, gold, copper, lead. These names are constantly found in the news, so few will ask a question about what metals are. And yet it would not hurt to find out what metals are from the standpoint of a chemist and a physicist if you want to have a systematic picture of the world in your head. And for completeness of knowledge on this topic, it would not hurt to learn about other groups - non-metals and metalloids. What are metallic and non-metallic properties?
If memory failed
Non-metals seem more mysterious, especially for those who do not remember the school chemistry course well, therefore we will concentrate on non-metallic properties, and metal, respectively, should be considered the opposite. There is nothing shameful in what you do not remember, it is difficult for the human brain to keep in mind information that is not needed every day. So, we list the non-metallic properties and comment on them to make it more understandable.
Neither heat nor electricity
Non-metals conduct electricity much worse than metals, as well as heat. Therefore, a ceramic mug, firstly, holds heat better than a metal one, and secondly, the probability of burning your hands on such a mug is much less than that of a soldier’s iron mug. And remember, for safety reasons, it is impossible to pull off an affected person from a current source with the help of metal objects. But you can use the tree, carbon in the composition of the tree is non-metal. The property of metals is to conduct current well, non-metallic properties include low conductivity.
Fragility or ductility
Pure substances from non-metals are usually brittle or even often in the solid state exist in the form of a powder. Malleable metals can take under the influence of tools and temperature the most unusual solidified forms (this quality is used in foundry). Non-metals can’t be processed like that. Non-metals often, even if found in pieces, still have a low density and are often porous in appearance.
Table as a map of the area
If you "go" through the periodic table from left to right, be sure to note that non-metallic properties are enhanced from left to right. Helium is the largest "excellent non-metal." But if you go down the table, then non-metallic properties fade away. Metals, on the other hand, are becoming more aggressive as you go down the periodic table. Thus, according to the periodic table, one can approximately assume the properties of simple substances consisting of atoms of specific elements. Substances “in the middle” are called metalloids and are often used in electrical engineering as semiconductors.
The benefits of non-metals
There is no common scope for all non-metals. Each has its own “specialization”, because non-metallic materials are different. Inert gases are used for outdoor advertising, selenium - for toners in the printing industry, sulfur goes to matches. We constantly meet in everyday life with materials that consist of derivatives of non-metals.
Thus, non-metallic properties, like metal, can be predicted from the periodic table. And these patterns are very interesting, because the table holds many more undiscovered secrets that allow scientists to look far into the past, and possibly into the future. The future of metalloids is especially interesting.