Differentiate between Metals and Nonmetals
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METALS |
NONMETALS |
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Metals have 1 to 3 electrons in their valence shell |
Nonmetals have 4 to 8 electrons in their valence shell |
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They form positively charged ions called cations |
They form negatively charged ions called anions |
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They are generally solid (except Mercury and Gallium) |
They exist in all 3 states of matter |
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They are hard and non-brittle - cannot break easily (except Sodium, Potassium, Lead) |
They are hard but brittle |
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They are generally heavy (except Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium) |
They are light |
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They are good conductors of heat and electricity (except lead) |
They are poor conductors of heat and electricity |
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They can be beaten into thin sheets and are thus malleable |
They are not malleable |
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They can be drawn into thin wires and are thus ductile |
They are non ductile |
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They produce a ringing sound on being struck and are thus sonorous |
They are not sonorous |
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They are generally lustrous and can be polished |
They are not lustrous |
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Metals have high attraction between molecules thus they have high tensile strength |
Nonmetals have low attraction between molecules thus they have low tensile strength |
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They have high degree of compactness and thus high density |
They have low degree of compactness and thus low density |
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Their melting and boiling points are high due to strong intermolecular attraction |
Their melting and boiling points are low due to weak intermolecular attraction |
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They form basic oxides on reacting with oxygen |
They form acidic oxides on reacting with oxygen |
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Examples - Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Lithium etc. |
Examples - Boron, Carbon, Silicon, Iodine etc. |
