Metals and non-metals

The Basics ReactivityReactions with metals

The Periodic Table is divided into….

Metals

and non-metals

The Periodic Table is divided into….

Metals all have similar physical properties…

•They have high melting and boiling points (except mercury)

•They conduct electricity and heat.

•They have a high density.

•They are shiny (lustrous).

•They are malleable (can be moulded)

•They are ductile (can be stretched)

Non-metals….

• Have low melting and boiling points.

• Are brittle.

• Do not conduct heat or electricity well.

(except carbon)

Different metals are suitable for different jobs.

Gold, silver and platinum are very unreactive but very malleable - making them suitable for jewellery

Copper is malleable, ductile and it conducts heat and electricity well.

It is also unreactive making it suitable for holding and carrying water.

Aluminium is a reactive metal, but it forms a

coating of very stable aluminium oxide.

This, together with its lightness and malleability gives it many uses from window frames to

insulation foil.

Iron ore is common and iron itself is

very strong.

It can be moulded into many shapes

Remember:

Only iron oxide is called rust.

No other metal rusts!Unfortunately iron is quite

brittle (for a metal) and also oxidises (rusts) easily.

As it forms, iron oxide constantly flakes away

exposing more of the iron underneath.

Like aluminium, zinc oxidises to form a stable coating of

zinc oxide which protects the iron underneath it.

This is called galvanising.

To prevent this happening, iron is often covered with a

thin layer of zinc.

Lead is very dense, unreactive and malleable - making it suitable for fishing

weights and roof sealing.

Lead fumes have been linked to brain damage so it is now considered too toxic to be

used inside houses (e.g. as in old-fashioned water pipes)

Back

Sodium, Calcium and Magnesium

These three metals are all far too reactive to be much use in their pure form.

They all make important compounds though.

Sodium

Sodium metal is so reactive it has to be kept in oil to keep it away from the oxygen in the air..

Without the oil, sodium quickly oxides into useless sodium oxide

All the same, sodium is essential for both plants and animals.

The commonest source of sodium is common table salt –

Sodium Chloride.

Calcium

Calcium is less reactive than sodium, but it still oxidises too rapidly for the pure metal to have any uses.

Calcium compounds, however, are very important.

Calcium carbonate makes up about 10% of the earth’s surface – limestone, marble and chalk.

Calcium compounds are essential for life – such as for making bones and milk.

Magnesium

Magnesium is less reactive then sodium or calcium.

It is still too reactive to have any uses in its pure form though.

Magnesium is easily obtainable from salts in sea water

Amongst other things, magnesium is essential for making chlorophyll.

Metals get more reactive as you move left in the periodic table

…. so Group 1 metals are the most reactive

Reactivity

…They also get more reactive

as you go down the table

Reactivity

Group 1 metals are the most reactive.

then Group 2

and potassium

is more reactive than sodium

Reactivity

These group 1 metals are too reactive

to be allowed in labs.

On the other hand, its difficult to get copper and zinc to do

anything!

Reactivity

Metals all form

(They do this by LOSING electrons)

Most non- metals form

(They do this by GAINING electrons)

Groups 1 – 13 form positive ions

Na+

Mg2+ Al3+

Group 14 elements don’t form ions

This is because they have 4 electrons in their outer shell. It isn’t easier to gain 4 more or lose 4 - so they don’t do either!

Groups 15, 16 and 17 all gain electrons to form negative ions

Cl-

S2-

N3-

Group 18 elements don’t form ions either.

This is because they already have the full 8 electrons in their

outer shell.

Group 1 metals all have one electron in

their outer shell.

They can lose this electron to form a

1+ positive ion

Fr

Cs

Rb

K

Na

Li3

11

19

Fr

Cs

Rb

K

Na

Li3

11

19

+

Li Li+ e-+

lithium lithium ion

electron+

For instance:

Fr

Cs

Rb

K

Na

Li3

11

19

+ Li+

+

Fr

Cs

Rb

K

Na

Li3

11

19

Li+

Na+

Fr

Cs

Rb

K

Na

Li Li+3

11

19

Na+

+

K+

Fr

Cs

Rb

K

Na

Li Li+3

11

19

Na+

K+

Rb+

Cs+

Fr+

Ra

Ba

Sr

Ca

Mg

Be4

12

20

Group 2 metals have 2 electrons

in their outer shell….

….. so they form 2+ ions

Ba2+

Sr2+

Ca2+

Mg2+

Be2+

Ra2+

Some metals, like iron, can form 2+ or 3+ ions

Fe

Fe

Fe2+

Fe3+

+

+

2 e-

3 e-

Non-metals can form two types of ion:

Monatomic ions

(the ion is made from just one non-metal element)

Cl - = chloride

I - = iodide

Br - = bromide

O 2- = oxide

S 2- = sulphide

Polyatomic ions

(the ion is made from more than one non-metal element)

OH- = hydroxide

SO42- = sulphate

NO3- = nitrate

CO32- = carbonate

HCO32- = hydrogen carbonate

Metal and non-metals join together to make IONIC compounds.

+ 2CuO2Cu

copper

O2

oxygen copper oxide

Mg + Cl2 MgCl2

magnesium chlorine magnesium chloride

Reactions with Metals.

1. Metals react with oxygen to from oxides.

2. Metals react with water to form hydroxides and hydrogen gas.

3. Metals react with acids to form salts and hydrogen gas.

1. Metals react with oxygen (O2) to form oxides.

sodium + oxygen sodium oxide

4Na O2+ 2Na2O

calcium + oxygen

+

O2

calcium oxide

2Ca 2CaO

oxygen

+

+

3O2

iron iron oxide

4Fe 2Fe2O3

2. Metals react with water to produce hydroxides and hydrogen gas.

sodium + water sodium hydroxide + hydrogen gas

2Na 2H2O+ 2NaOH + H2

calcium + water calcium hydroxide + hydrogen gas

Ca(OH)2Ca 2H2O+ + H2

*Soluble hydroxides are called alkalis*

3. Metals react with acids to form salts and hydrogen gas

potassium + hydrochloric acid potassium chloride + hydrogen

2K + 2HCl 2KCl + H2

++

potassium + sulphuric acid potassium sulphate + hydrogen

2K H2SO4 K2SO4 H2

potassium + hydrochloric acid potassium chloride + hydrogen

2K + 2HCl 2KCl + H2

The metal forms the first part of the salt’s name.

The non-metal forms the second part of the

salt’s name.

Naming Salts