Look around for a second… How many metal things can you see? Usually when we think of metals, we think of substances that are shiny and durable. However, they are also found in our food and in our bodies. Let's take a look at the complete list of metals known to science, learn their basic properties and find out why they are so special.
What are metals?
Elements that lose electrons easily, that are shiny (reflective), malleable (can be molded into other shapes), and are considered good conductors of heat and electricity are called metals. They are crucial to our way of life, as they are not only part of structures and technologies, but also essential to the production of almost all items. Metal is even in the human body. Looking at a multivitamin's ingredient label, you'll see dozens of compounds listed.
You may not have known that elements such as sodium, calcium, magnesium and zinc are essential forlife, and if they are absent from our bodies, our he alth can be in serious danger. For example, calcium is essential for he althy bones, magnesium for metabolism. Zinc enhances immune system function, while iron helps blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body. However, the metals in our bodies differ from the metal in a spoon or steel bridge in that they have lost electrons. They are called cations.
Metals also have antibiotic properties, so handrails and handles in public places are often made from these elements. It is known that many tools are made of silver to prevent the growth of bacteria. Artificial joints are made from titanium alloys, which both prevent infection and make recipients stronger.
Metals in the periodic table
All elements in Dmitri Mendeleev's periodic system are divided into two large groups: metals and non-metals. The first is the most numerous. Most elements are metals (blue). Non-metals in the table are shown on a yellow background. There is also a group of elements that are classified as metalloids (red). All metals are grouped on the left side of the table. Note that hydrogen is grouped with metals in the upper left corner. Despite this, it is considered non-metallic. However, some scientists theorize that there may be metallic hydrogen in the core of the planet Jupiter.
Metal Bonding
Many of the wonderful and useful qualitiesAn element has to do with how its atoms connect to each other. This creates certain connections. The metallic interaction of atoms leads to the creation of metallic structures. Every instance of this element in everyday life, from a car to coins in a pocket, includes a metal connection.
During this process, the metal atoms share their outer electrons evenly with each other. Electrons flowing between positively charged ions easily transfer heat and electricity, making these elements such good conductors of heat and electricity. Copper wires are used for power supply.
Reactions of metals
Reactivity refers to the tendency of an element to react with chemicals in its environment. She is different. Some metals, such as potassium and sodium (in columns 1 and 2 of the periodic table), react readily with many different chemicals and are rarely found in their pure, elemental form. Both usually exist only in compounds (bonded to one or more other elements) or as ions (a charged version of their elemental form).
On the other hand, there are other metals, they are also called jewelry. Gold, silver and platinum are not very reactive and usually occur in their pure form. These metals lose electrons more easily than non-metals, but not as easily as reactive metals such as sodium. Platinum relativelynon-reactive and very resistant to reactions with oxygen.
Element Properties
When you studied the alphabet in elementary school, you discovered that all letters have their own unique set of properties. For example, some had straight lines, some had curves, and others had both types of lines. The same can be said about the elements. Each of them has a unique set of physical and chemical properties. Physical properties are qualities inherent in certain substances. Shiny or not, how well it conducts heat and electricity, at what temperature it melts, how dense it is.
Chemical properties include those qualities that are observed when they react to exposure to oxygen if they burn (how difficult it will be for them to retain their electrons during a chemical reaction). Different elements can share common properties. For example, iron and copper are both elements that conduct electricity. However, they do not have the same properties. For example, when iron is exposed to moist air, it rusts, but when copper is exposed to the same conditions, it acquires a specific green coating. That's why the Statue of Liberty is green and not rusty. It is made of copper, not iron).
Organization of elements: metals and non-metals
The fact that the elements have some common and unique properties allows them to be sorted into a nice, neat chart thatcalled the periodic table. It organizes elements based on their atomic number and properties. So, in the periodic table, we find elements grouped together that have common properties. Iron and copper are close to each other, both are metals. Iron is denoted by the symbol "Fe" and copper is denoted by the symbol "Cu".
Most of the elements in the periodic table are metals, and they tend to be on the left side of the table. They are grouped together because they have certain physical and chemical properties. For example, metals are dense, shiny, they are good conductors of heat and electricity, and they easily lose electrons in chemical reactions. In contrast, non-metals have opposite properties. They are not dense, do not conduct heat and electricity, and tend to gain electrons rather than give them away. When we look at the periodic table, we see that most of the non-metals are grouped on the right. These are elements such as helium, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.
What are heavy metals?
The list of metals is quite numerous. Some of them can accumulate in the body and do no harm, such as natural strontium (formula Sr), which is an analogue of calcium, as it is productively deposited in bone tissue. Which of them are called heavy and why? Consider four examples: lead, copper, mercury, and arsenic.
Where are these elements located and how do they affect the environment and human he alth? Heavymetals are metallic, naturally occurring compounds that have a very high density compared to other metals - at least five times the density of water. They are toxic to humans. Even small doses can lead to serious consequences.
- Lead. It is a heavy metal that is toxic to humans, especially children. Poisoning with this substance can lead to neurological problems. Although it was once very attractive due to its flexibility, high density, and ability to absorb harmful radiation, lead has been phased out in many ways. This soft, silvery metal found on Earth is dangerous to humans and accumulates in the body over time. The worst thing is that you can't get rid of it. It sits there, accumulates and gradually poisons the body. Lead is toxic to the nervous system and can cause severe brain damage in children. It was widely used in the 1800s to create makeup and until 1978 was used as one of the ingredients in hair dye. Today, lead is used primarily in large batteries, as X-ray shields, or as insulation for radioactive material.
- Copper. It is a reddish brown heavy metal that has many uses. Copper is still one of the best conductors of electricity and heat, and many electrical wires are made from this metal and covered in plastic. Coins, mostly small change, are also made from this element of the periodic system. Acute copper poisoning is rare, but like lead, it can accumulate in tissues, eventually leading to toxicity. People who are exposed to large amounts of copper or copper dust are also at risk.
- Mercury. This metal is toxic in any form and can even be absorbed by the skin. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it is liquid at room temperature, it is sometimes called "fast silver". It can be seen in a thermometer because, as a liquid, it absorbs heat, changing volume with even the slightest difference in temperature. This allows the mercury to rise or fall in the glass tube. Since this substance is a powerful neurotoxin, many companies are switching to red-colored alcohol thermometers.
- Arsenic. From Roman times right up until the Victorian era, arsenic was considered the "king of poisons" and also the "poison of kings." History is riddled with countless examples of both roy alty and commoners committing murders for personal gain, using arsenic compounds that were odorless, colorless, and tasteless. Despite all the negative influences, this metalloid also has its uses, even in medicine. For example, arsenic trioxide is a very effective drug used to treat people with acute promyelocytic leukemia.
What is a precious metal?
Precious metal is a metal thatmay be rare or difficult to obtain, and economically very valuable. What is the list of metals that are precious? There are three in total:
- Platinum. Despite its refractoriness, it is used in jewelry, electronics, automobiles, chemical processes and even medicine.
- Gold. This precious metal is used to make jewelry and gold coins. However, it has many other uses. It is used in medicine, manufacturing and laboratory equipment.
- Silver. This noble metal is silvery white in color and is very malleable. in its pure form is quite heavy, it is lighter than lead, but heavier than copper.
Metals: types and properties
Most elements can be considered as metals. They are grouped in the middle on the left side of the table. Metals are alkali, alkaline earth, transition, lanthanides and actinides.
They all have a few things in common, these are:
- solid at room temperature (excluding mercury);
- usually shiny;
- high melting point;
- good conductor of heat and electricity;
- low ionization capacity;
- low electronegativity;
- pliable (able to take a given shape);
- plastic (can be drawn into wire);
- high density;
- a substance that loses electrons in reactions.
List of metals known to science
- lithium;
- beryllium;
- sodium;
- magnesium;
- aluminum;
- potassium;
- calcium;
- scandium;
- titanium;
- vanadium;
- chrome;
- manganese;
- iron;
- cob alt;
- nickel;
- copper;
- zinc;
- gallium;
- rubidium;
- strontium;
- yttrium;
- zirconium;
- niobium;
- molybdenum;
- technetium;
- ruthenium;
- rhodium;
- palladium;
- silver;
- cadmium;
- indium;
- copernicus;
- cesium;
- barium;
- tin;
- iron;
- bismuth;
- lead;
- mercury;
- tungsten;
- gold;
- platinum;
- osmium;
- hafnium;
- germanium;
- iridium;
- niobium;
- rhenium;
- antimony;
- thallium;
- tantalum;
- French;
- livermorium.
In total, about 105 chemical elements are known, most of which are metals. The latter are a very common element in nature, which occurs both in pure form and as part of various compounds.
Metals lie in the bowels of the earth, they can be found in various water bodies, in the composition of the bodies of animals and humans, in plants and even in the atmosphere. In the periodic table, they are located starting with lithium (a metal with the formula Li) andending with livermorium (Lv). The table continues to be replenished with new elements, and mostly these are metals.
