Metals and Non-Metals

Plastic

  • Most plastic is made from crude oil
  • Monomers join together to make polymers

Examples of plastics

  • Polythene: silage wrap and plastic bags
  • Polystyrene: hot drink cup and box packaging
  • Polypropylene: plastic chairs
  • Nylon: thread, tights and combs
  • P.V.C: windows, electrical wires and insulation

Properties of plastic

  • Easily moulded
  • Easy to maintain => no rust and rot
  • Cheap
  • Light => low density
  • Very good insulator => for heat and electricity
  • Can be coloured => dye
  • Doesn’t breakdown => bad for the environment

The effect of plastic on the environment

  1. Non-biodegradable

    Most can’t be broken down by micro-organisms

    Lots of landfill

  2. Poisonous fumes

    When burned they give off poisonous fumes

    Can cause death

Physical properties

  • Physical properties can be observed or measured without changing the composition of matter
  • Physical properties are used to observe and describe matter
  • Physical properties include:
    • appearance
    • texture
    • colour
    • melting point
    • density
    • solubility
    • polarity

Chemical properties

Chemical properties of matter describes it’s potential to undergo. Some chemicals change or reaction by virtue of its compsition.

Example: hydrogen has the potential to ignite and explode given the right conditions. This is a chemical property

Metals in general have the chemical property of reacting with an acid

Example: Zinc reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce hydrogen gas

Changes

Physical change: no new substances formed

Chemical change: at least one new substance formed

Metals

Alkali Metals (Group I)

  • Don’t occur freely => form compounds
  • Want to lose 1 outer shell
  • Stored under oil => away from air and water
  1. The alkali metals react with water => hydrogen gas given off and hydrogen gas is given off and a hydrogen compound is formed
  2. Alkali metals tarnish in air => react with air to form oxides

Examples

  • Lithium: batteries
  • Sodium: street lights
  • Potassium: fertilisers

Physical properties

  1. The metals can be cut with a knife
    • shiny when cut
    • go dull after
  2. Metals are good conducter of electricity
  3. Low density
    • float in water
  4. Low melting point

Chemical properties

  1. Must be stored under oil
  2. Shiny when cut
  3. Burn in air
    • coloured flames
  4. React vigorously with cold water
    • heat from reaction melts metals