Wordplay Wednesday: Metal

Wordplay Wednesday: Metal

Today we are going to talk about the word metal. Now, this may seem silly, if I say the word metal, I bet a few come to mind: gold,

silver,

iron,

but what makes something a metal?

 A metal is a solid material that is typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity. Metals can be chemical elements like the ones I mentioned earlier, alloys like brass

or steel

or a molecular compound like silver nitrate.

Most metals have a shiny, metallic luster when polished or fractured and most are opaque. Metals tend to be more dense than nonmetals but that density varies widely between different types.

There are several groups of metals. Alkali metals are highly reactive metals with low melting points and are so soft they can be cut with a knife. These includes Lithium, sodium and potassium.

Alkaline earth metals are a little less reactive, harder and have a higher melting point than alkali metals. Due to their reactivity, they seldom appear in their pure form. Metals in this group include calcium, barium and magnesium.

Transition metals are what we traditionally think of as metals. They are hard, strong, shiny and easy to shape. This group includes gold, iron, and platinum.

Post-transition metals are fairly soft with low boiling points. This group includes aluminum, tin and bismuth.

Finally, we have noble metals. This group is pure and nonreactive so they don’t form compounds. This makes them perfect for jewelry and coins. This group includes copper, silver and rhodium. (You'll notice those are all transition metals).

Tune in tomorrow to learn about a chemist who made a huge difference in being able to categorize metals and their neighbors. Fossilize you later!