Metals Understanding the left side of the periodic table

Properties of Metals  Metals typically are good conductors of both electricity and heat. They also tend to be shiny and bendable. The majority of the elements of the periodic table are metals.

Physical Properties  There are four major properties of metals.  1) Luster- metal shines  2) Malleability- metals can be hammered flat or shaped through pressure.  3) Ductility- ability to be formed into a wire.  4) Conductivity- the ability to conduct or transmit both heat and electrical energy.

Chemical Properties  Reactivity- The ease and speed which metal reacts with other elements.  Not all metals react at the same rate.  Metals on the left side of the table tend to react very fast and violently, while other metals found near the center of the periodic table react slowly.  Examples of the variety of chemical reactions are rust (corrosion) found in iron, and gold which reacts very little with either water or salt.

What are the three basic properties of metals.  Malleability- soft metals have this basic characteristic. An example is silver and gold coins.  Magnetism- some metals are attracted to magnets. The most common metal attracted to magnets is iron.  Corrosion- the gradual wearing away of a metal from a chemical reaction.

Group 1, Alkali Metals  The group one metals from Lithium to Francium are called the Alkali Metals.  These metals react by losing one electron.  This group is on the far left side of the periodic table.  The alkali metals are the most reactive elements in the table and always found in a compound because these elements react with everything, so finding them in nature in a pure form is very rare.  Alkali metals also are some of softest metals in the periodic table. These can be cut in a lab setting with only a plastic knife.

Two important Alkali Medals  The two most important medals in the Group one are sodium and potassium.  Sodium helps the human body retain water which prevents dehydration.  Potassium helps the bodies cells keep calcium in the cardiovascular spaces. A diet high in potassium can lead to heart arrhythmias.  Lithium is used in batteries and medications.

Melting points of alkali metals (Melting points reported in C)

Group 2, Alkaline Metals  The group two metals are called alkaline metals and represent the second column in the periodic table.  This group extends from Beryllium to Radium.  This group reacts by losing two electrons.  Most of the alkaline metals are fairly hard and are grey to white in color.

Calcium and Magnesium  Calcium is an important part of the human body.  Calcium is deposited in the teeth and the bones which helps make these structures hard.  Calcium also is crucial in making muscles contract.  Magnesium is used in aircraft parts and in the automotive industry. Magnesium does not corrode, nor oxidize and can be shined to a high luster (it is mixed with aluminum to make wheels and rims for cars).

Group three through twelve, The transitional metals  These groups carry many of the common metals on the Earth.  Some examples are Iron, Copper, Silver, and Gold.  Transitional metals have a variety of reactivity related to them.  An example is the difference between iron and gold.  Iron will rust (oxidize) while gold reacts very little to most other elements.  Common uses for transitional metals is pigments in paint.  An example is Cd (Cadmium) is used for red paint. Zn (Zinc) is used for white paint.

Metals in a mixed group  Only some of the elements in groups 13 through 15 of the periodic table are metals. These metals are never found uncombined in nature.  The familiar metals in these groups are aluminum, tin, and lead.  Lead is used for automotive weights on car tires and in car batteries. Lead has also been used for dishes and pipes hundreds of years ago in Rome to move water.  Tin is a light weight metal which is used to harden combinations of metals when they are used together. Examples are Tin frames, cups, and some art projects (stained glass), and bullets.

Lanthanides  The two rows of elements placed below the periodic table are removed in order to make the periodic table more compact.  Lanthanides are usually mixed with other metals in order to make alloys.  Alloys are metals which are a combination of at least two elements. Many of the metals used in cars, everyday materials, and construction are alloys. Many times an alloy is used to reduce the weight of an object, or to make an object stronger, or more resistant to corrosion and heat.  Some Lanthanides are used to make magnets.  An example is Neodymium which is used to make magnets for earphones.

Actinides  These are the elements in the period below Lanthanides.  Many of these elements are made only in a laboratory setting.  The elements found in nature are Actinium, Thorium, Protactinium, and Uranium.  The most common use for Uranium is in fuel for nuclear reactors which heat water and produce steam to make electricity.

Synthetic Elements  Elements above the atomic number 92 are usually called synthetic elements.  These elements are not found in nature, instead they are made, or synthesized.  Synthetic materials are made by crashing nuclear particles into one another.  An example is plutonium which is made by bombarding nuclei of Uranium-238 with neutrons in a nuclear reactor.  The heaviest synthetic elements are made in a particle accelerator.

Particle Accelerators  These are large tubes which use magnets to accelerate a particle faster and faster and when it hits another element it hits it with enough energy to fuse or combine the nuclei to form synthetic elements.  The first synthetic particle made in a particle accelerator is Curium which was made in 1940, in Chicago by colliding Helium and Plutonium.