Metals Metals are a class of elements characterized by their physical properties.

Properties of Metals Malleable: a material can be hammered or rolled into shapes. (P) Ductile: a material that can be pulled out, or drawn, into a long wire. (P) Conductivity: ability of an object to transfer heat or electricity to another object. (P)

Properties of Elements Magnetism: Many metals are attracted to magnets. (P) Reactivity: ease and speed with which an element combines, or reacts, with another element. (C) The reactivity tend to decrease as you move from left to right across the periodic table. Corrosion: gradual wearing away of a metal element due to a chemical reaction. ( C )

Alkali Metals Are in Group 1 React by losing 1e So reactive that they are never found in nature as uncombined elements. Ex) Na K

Alkaline Earth Metals Group 2 Fairly hard, gray- white,and good conductors React by losing 2e Also never found uncombined in nature Ex) Ca Mg

Transition Metals Groups 3-12 Includes most of the familiar metals Good conductors Less reactive Ex) Au Fe Ni Cu

Metals in Mixed Groups Groups Not nearly as reactive Ex) Al Pb

Lanthanides Soft, shiny, malleable Good conductors Mixed w/ more common metals to make alloys: mixture of a metal w/ at least one other element.

Actinides Only 2 occur naturally, Thorium and Uranium. Many are so unstable that they last only for a fraction of a second after they are made.

Synthetic Elements Elements that follow Uranium are made or synthesized when nuclear particles are forced to crash into one another. Use particle accelerators- machines that move atomic nuclei faster and faster until they have reached very high speeds. Difficulty of synthesizing new elements increase w/ atomic number.