Properties of Metals and Nonmetals

metallic substances definition

3d lattice of positively charged ions surrounded by a sea of delocalized electrons

properties of metals

high melting/boiling point. conductive, shiny, malleable and ductile

shiny

delocalized electrons can reflect light at the same frequency that light hits its surface, so it appears shiny.

high melting or boiling point of metals

because of strong electrostatic forces between positive metal ions and negative sea of delocalized electrons, more energy is required to disrupt them.

conductive

because sea of delocalized electrons is free to move to carry electricity in solid states (not in liquid states because they can't dissolve)

malleable

able to shaped or beaten into sheets,

ductile

able to be drawn into wires

malleable and ductile property

because when a shear force is applied, 1 layer of positive ions slide over each other but the delocalized electros redistribute them so like charges don't come into contact and there isn't repulsion, so the metal just gets reshaped.

metalloids properties

Semiconductors that can be altered by impurities
brittle and hard
typically have metallic luster
varying reactivities

properties of non metals

Brittle, dull, low melting and boiling point, and poor conductors of heat and electricity

dull nonmetals

no free electrons available for excitation, so when light falls on them, it enters and gets absorbed without reflecting

bad conductors of electricity and heat nonmetals

no ions to carry electricity or heat in covalent bonds

low melting and boiling points of nonmetals

covalent bonds themselves are strong but the intermolecular forces between molecules are weaker so they require less energy to disrupt for melting or boiling