Revision Notes on 

Materials:
Metals and Non-Metals
Introduction
→ Materials are classified into two types i.e. metals and non-metals.
→ Metals can be distinguished from non-metals on the basis of their physical
and chemical properties.

Physical Properties of Metals and Non-metals

Note: Copper Vessels also acquire a dull green coating (made up of copper hydroxide and
copper carbonate) when they are exposed to moist air. It is called Verdigris.

Physical
Metals Non-Metals
Properties

Non-metalsare poor conductors of heat and

Metals are good conductors of
electricity. Eg :- coal or sulphur etc. Graphite
Conductivity heat and electricity. eg: iron or
is an exception as it is a good conductor of
copper etc.
electricity.

Metals Are ductile, which means

Non-metals are brittle (break down when
that they can be drawn into
Ductility struck) and hence, they cannot be drawn into
wires. Eg:- Aluminium and
wires.
copper etc.

Hardness All metals are hard though there Most non-metals are soft. Diamonds are
are some exceptions. Sodium and exceptions as they are the hardest material

Revision Notes on Materials: Metals and Non-Metals 1

 potassium are soft and can be cut found on Earth. However, they are also very
with a knife. brittle and break when struck with a hammer.

Metals Are lustrous, which

Non-metals are generally dull and do not
means that they reflect light from
Lustre reflect light. Hence, they lack metallic lustre.
their surface and can be polished.
Eg:- coal etc.
Eg:- gold, silver and copper etc.

Metals are malleable, which

means that they can be beaten Since non-metals break easily, they cannot be
Malleability
into thin sheets. Eg :- silver and pounded into sheets.
aluminium etc.

Most metals remain solid at room

Most non-metals exist in two states of matter
temperature, except mercury and
Physical State at room temperature: Gases (such as oxygen),
gallium which remain liquid at
and Solids (such as carbon).
room temperature.

Metals produce ringing sounds

when they are struck and hence, Non-metals are non-sonorous and do not
Sonorous they are sonorous, except produce the typical metallic sound when they
Mercury which is liquid in are struck.
nature.
Iron, copper, aluminium,
Examples Sulphur, carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, etc.
calcium, magnesium, etc.

Chemical Equation for Green Coating on Copper

Copper (Cu) + Moist Air (Water (H2O) + Oxygen (O2) + Carbon Dioxide (CO2)) →
Copper Hydroxide (Cu(OH)2) + Copper Carbonate (CuCO3)
2Cu + H2O + CO2 + O2 → Cu (OH)2 + CuCO3

Copper carbonate and copper hydroxide are basic in nature.

Note: This green coating can be copper chloride if the copper reacts with sea air, or copper
acetate if the copper reacts with acetic acid.

Chemical Properties of Metals and Non-metals

Reaction of Metals with Oxygen
When metals react with oxygen, they form metal oxide.

Metal + O2 → Metal Oxide

For Example:

1. Copper + Oxygen → Copper Oxide (black)

Revision Notes on Materials: Metals and Non-Metals 2

 2Cu + O2 → 2CuO

2. Aluminium + Oxygen → Aluminium Oxide

4Al + 3O2 → 2Al2O3

3. Magnesium + Oxygen → Magnesium Oxide

2Mg + O2 → 2MgO

The reactivity of metals with oxygen differs.

 For Example:

Sodium and Potassium react so vigorously with air that they catch fire when they are
kept in open. Hence, they are immersed in kerosene to store them.

The surfaces of Magnesium, Aluminium, Zinc and Lead are covered with a thin layer of
oxide to make sure that they do not get oxidised anymore.

While iron does not burn when heated, iron filings burn vigorously.

Copper surface is coated with a thin layer of black copper oxide to prevent the process of
further oxidation from taking place.

Gold and silver do not react with Oxygen.

Amphoteric Oxides: Some metal oxides react both with acids and bases to produce salts and
water. Such metal oxides are called amphoteric oxides. For example:

Aluminium Oxide + Hydrochloric Acid → Aluminium Chloride + Water

Al2O3 + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + H2O

Aluminium Oxide + Sodium Hydroxide → Sodium Aluminate + Water

Al2O3 + 2NaOH → 2NaAlO2 + H2O

Reaction of Metals with Water

Metal + (cold) Water → Metal hydroxide + Hydrogen

Metal + Stream → Metal oxide + Hydrogen

For Example:

Sodium + Water → Sodium Hydroxide + Hydrogen + Heat

2Na + 2H2O → 2NaOH + H2 + Heat

Calcium + Water → Calcium Hydroxide + Hydrogen

Ca + 2H2O → Ca(OH)2 + H2

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 Magnesium + Water → Magnesium Hydroxide + Hydrogen
Mg + 2H2O → Mg(OH)2 + H2

Aluminium + Water → Aluminium Oxide + Hydrogen

2Al + 3H2O → Al2O3 + 3H2

Iron + Water → Iron Oxide + Hydrogen

3Fe + 4H2O → Fe3O4 + H2

The reactivity of metals with water differs. 

For Example:

Sodium, Potassium and Calcium react with cold water.

Magnesium reacts slowly with hot water to form slightly soluble magnesium hydroxide.

Aluminium, Zinc and Iron react with steam.

Lead, Copper, Silver and Gold do not react with water.

Note: Calcium and magnesium float on water as bubbles of hydrogen stick to their surface.

Reaction of Metals with Solutions of Other Metal Salts

Metal A + Salt Solution of Metal B → Salt Solution of Metal A + Metal B

More reactive metals replaces less reactive metals.

Less reactive metals cannot replace more reactive metals.

For Example:
Iron + Copper Sulphate → Iron Sulphate + Copper

Fe + CuSO4 → FeSO4 + Cu
Reaction of Different Metals and Non-metals with Acids

Reaction with Dilute Hydrochloric

Metal/Non-metal Reaction with Dilute Sulphuric Acid
Acid
Room
Warm Room Temperature
Temperature

Magnesium (Mg) + Hydrochloric Acid Magnesium (Mg) + Hydrochloric Acid

Magnesium (HCl) → Magnesium Chloride (HCl) →  Magnesium Chloride
(ribbon) (MgCl2) + Hydrogen (H2)Mg + 2HCl (MgCl2) + Hydrogen (H2)Mg + 2HCl
→  MgCl2 + H2 →  MgCl2 + H2

Aluminum (foil) Aluminum (Al) + Hydrochloric Acid Aluminum (Al) + Hydrochloric Acid

Revision Notes on Materials: Metals and Non-Metals 4

 (HCl) →Aluminum Chloride (AlCl3) + (HCl) →Aluminum Chloride (AlCl3) +
Hydrogen (H2)2Al + 6HCl → Hydrogen (H2)2Al + 6HCl →
2AlCl3 + 3H2 2AlCl3 + 3H2

Iron (Fe) + Hydrochloric Acid (HCl)

Iron does not react with hydrochloric
Iron (filings) →Iron Chloride (FeCl2) + Hydrogen
acid at room temperature.
(H2)2Fe + 2HCl → 2FeCl2 + H2
Copper (peeled Copper does not react with Copper does not react with hydrochloric
flexible wire) hydrochloric acid at room temperature. acid (even when it is heated)

Charcoal does not react with

Charcoal Charcoal does not react with
hydrochloric acid (even when it is
(powder) hydrochloric acid at room temperature.
heated).

Sulphur does not react with

Sulphur does not react with
Sulphur (powder) hydrochloric acid (even when it is
hydrochloric acid at room temperature.
heated).

Note:

When metals react with acids, they produce hydrogen gas with produce a 'pop' sound
when it burns.

Iron reacts with hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid on heating.

Copper does not react with hydrochloric acid (even when it is heated) but reacts with
sulphuric acid on heating.

aqua regia

→ Freshly-prepared concentrated HCl and concentrated HNO3 in 3:1 ratio

→ It can dissolve even gold and platinum.

The reactivity series is given below:

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 Types of Reactions
Displacement reactions

In this reactions, a more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from their compounds
in aqueous solutions.
(However, a less reactive metal cannot displace a more reactive metal.)

Example:

1. CuSO4(Blue) + Zn → ZnSO4(Colourless) + Cu (Red)…………………………...

(Copper Sulphate + Zinc → Zinc Sulphate + Copper)

2. Pb + CuCl2 → PbCl2 + Cu

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 3. Fe (s) + CuSO 4 (aq) → FeSO 4 (aq) + Cu (s.)

4. CuSO4 (aq) + Zn (s) —-> Cu (s) + ZnSO4 (aq)

5. A less reactive metal cannot displace a more reactive metal from its salt solution
FeSO4 (aq) + Cu (s) ——–>No displacement reaction

Cu (s) + + ZnSO4 (aq) —–> no reaction

Double displacement

reaction In this reaction, exchange of ions occurs between two compounds.

Alloys

→ Alloys are homogeneous mixtures of two or more metals (or metal and non-metal).
Alloying is done to enhance the properties of metals.

→ Alloys of aluminum are also useful as they are both light and strong. Some of its alloys
are duralumin, magnelium, etc.

→ Some alloys of iron are steel, stainless steel, etc. Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.
→ Some alloys of zinc are brass, bronze, and German silver.

→ On the basis of composition,

alloys are of two types:

Substitutional alloys in which atoms of one element randomly replace the atoms of
another metal.

interstitial alloys in which small atoms like hydrogen, boron, carbon and nitrogen
occupy the holes in the crystal structure of the metal.

• On the basis of constituent elements,

alloys are of two types:

→ Ferrous alloys: They contain iron as base metal.

Example: steel, alnico etc.

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 → Non ferrous alloys: They do not contain iron as base metal.

Example: brass, bronze, duralumin etc.

Uses Of Metals
→ In making machinery, automobiles, jewellery, trains, aeroplanes, cooking
utensils, etc.

→ Gold is used for making jewellery, wires, and coins and in dentistry.

→ Silver is used for making coins, ornaments, very thin wires, table cutlery and in
photographic films.
→ Copper is used for making wires, utensils, statues, alloys and coins.

→ Iron is used for construction of ships, buildings, automobiles and railway

bridges etc.

→ Tin is used for tinning food cans, and making alloys.

→ Lead is used for making batteries, and alloys.

→ Zinc is used in prevention of rusting, making brass and bronze and in dry cells. →
Aluminum is used in making wires, foils, and alloys.

→ Mercury is used for making amalgams and in thermometers.

→ Magnesium is used for making fire works, and alloys.

Uses Of Non-metals
→ They are used in fertilizers, in water purification process, crackers, etc. Oxygen,
a non-metal, is essential for our life as all living beings inhale it during breathing. →
Nitrogen dilutes the activity of oxygen in air. It is used by plants to manufacture
proteins.

→ Oxygen is essential for respiration and combustion of fuels.

→ Chlorine is used for bleaching fabrics, sterilization of drinking water, and in

manufacturing insecticides and pesticides.

→ Iodine is essential for proper functioning of human body, and in photographic

films.
→ Graphite is used as pencil lead, dry lubricant, in electrolytic cells and nuclear
reactors.

→ Helium is a noble gas which is used in weather observation balloons.

→ Argon is a noble gas which is used for filling electric bulbs.

Revision Notes on Materials: Metals and Non-Metals 8

 @Gautam Yadav

Revision Notes on Materials: Metals and Non-Metals 9