Name _________________________ Class ______ Date _________
2
Grade 6
Lesson 6.6A
What Are the Physical Properties of Metals?
What is a metal? Take a moment to describe a familiar metal, such as
iron (Fe), copper (Cu), gold (Au), or silver (Ag). What words did you
use—hard, shiny, smooth? Scientists classify an element as a metal
based on its properties. Look again at the periodic table. All of the elements in the shaded
squares are metals.
Metals are often shiny, malleable, ductile, and can conduct electricity. A malleable
material is one that can be rolled into flat sheets. A ductile material is one that can be
pulled out into a long wire. Copper can be made into thin sheets and wire because it is
malleable and ductile.
Conductivity is the ability of an object to transfer heat or electricity to another object.
Most metals are good conductors. In addition, a few metals are magnetic. For example,
iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and Nickel (Ni) are attracted to magnets. They can also be made
into magnets.
Most metals are solid at room temperature. Mercury (Hg) is a metal that is a liquid at
room temperature.
2. Recall What property describes a metal that can be drawn into a wire?
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What Are the Physical Properties of Nonmetals?
A nonmetal is an element that lacks most of the properties of a metal. All of the elements
in the shaded boxes are nonmetals. Many of the nonmetals are common elements on
Earth.
In general, the physical properties of nonmetals are the opposite of those of metals. Solid
nonmetals are dull, meaning not shiny. They are brittle, meaning not malleable or ductile.
If you hit most solid nonmetals with a hammer, they break apart easily. And, nonmetals
are poor conductors of electricity.
Ten of the 16 nonmetals found in nature are gases at room temperature. The air you
breathe is mostly a mixture of two nonmetals, oxygen (O
2
) and nitrogen (N
2
). The
nonmetals carbon (C), iodine (I), and sulfur (S) are solid at room temperature. Bromine
(Br) is the only nonmetal that is liquid at room temperature. The elements helium (He),
neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe), and radon (Rn) are known as noble
gases. The noble gases do not ordinarily form compounds.