CHAPTER – 3

METALS AND NON METALS

 Physical properties of metals :-
• Solids. (except mercury)
• Hard. (except Alkali metals)
• Metallic lustre. (shine)
• Malleable. (can be beaten into thin sheets)
• Ductile. (can be drawn into wires)
• High melting points. (Gallium and Caesium have low
melting points. They melt in the palm of the hand)
• High boiling points.
• Good conductors of heat. ( Best conductors are silver
and copper. Poor conductors are Lead and Mercury)
• Good conductors of electricity. ( Best conductors are
Silver and Copper)
• onorous. (produce sound when beaten)
 Physical properties of non metals :-
• Non metals may be solids, liquids or gases. (Solids –
Carbon, Sulphur, Phosphorus etc. Liquid – Bromine,
Gases – Oxygen, Hydrogen, Nitrogen etc.)
• Non metals are soft. (except diamond which is the hardest
natural substance)
• Non metals do not have lustre.( except iodine cryatals)
• Non metals are not malleable.
• Non metals are not ductile.
• Non metals which are solids and liquids have low melting
points.
• Non metals which are solids and liquids have low boiling
points.
• Non metals are bad conductors of heat.
• Non metals are bad conductors of electricity. (except
graphite)
• Non metals are not sonorus.
 Chemical properties of metals :-
i) Reaction with oxygen :-

Metals react with oxygen to form metal oxides.

Metal + Oxygen Metal oxide

 When copper is heated it combines with oxygen to form copper oxide.

2Cu + O2 2CuO
 When aluminium is heated it combines with oxygen to form
aluminium oxide.
4Al + 3O2 2Al2O3
Some metal oxides are basic oxides because they react with water to form bases.
Some metal oxides show acidic and basic properties. They are called amphoteric oxides.
Eg :- Aluminium oxide, Zinc oxide etc.
 ii) Reaction with water :-
 Metals react with water to form metal oxides or metal
hydroxides and hydrogen.
Metal + Water Metal hydroxide + Water

2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2

2K + H2O 2KOH + H2
Ca + H2O Ca(OH)2 + H2
2Al + 3H2O Al2O3 + H2
3Fe + 4H2O Fe2O3 + 4H2
 iii) Reaction with acids :-
 Metals react with dilute acids to form salts and hydrogen.
Metal + Dil.acids Salts + Hydrogen

Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2
2Al + 6 HCl 2AlCl3 + 3H2
Zn + 2HCl ZnCl2 + H2
Fe + 2HCl FeCl2 + H2
 Copper, silver and gold do not react with dilute HCl.
 iv) Reaction of metals with metal salt solutions :-
A more reactive metal displaces a less reactive metal from its salt
solution. (Displacement reaction)
Mg + CuSO4 MgSO4 + Cu
Zn + CuSO4 ZnSO4 + Cu
Fe + CuSO4 FeSO4 + Cu

after 15 – 20 minutes
 Reactivity series of metals :-
The arranging of metals in the decreasing order of their
reactivity is called reactivity series of metals.
K - Potassium Most reactive
Na - Sodium
Ca - Calcium
Mg - Magnesium
Al - Aluminium
Zn - Zinc Reactivity decreases
Fe - Iron
Pb - Lead
H - Hydrogen
Cu - Copper
Hg - Mercury
Ag - Silver
Au - Gold Least reactive
 V)How do metals an non metals react ?
Metals :- lose electrons and become positive ions.

Na Na +
+ 1 e-

EC = 2,8,1 2,8

Mg Mg 2+
+ 2 e-

EC = 2,8,2 2,8

Non metals :- gain electrons and become negative ions.

Cl + 1 e- Cl -

EC = 2,8,7 2,8,8

O + 2e- O 2-
Formation of sodium chloride molecule – NaCl

xx
+
xx -
Na . +
x
Cl
x
x Na .x xClx xx NaCl
xx

AN = 11 AN = 17
EC = 2,8,1 EC = 2,8,7
Formation of Magnesium chloride molecule – MgCl2

xx -
. Cl
x xx
Cl xx x x
.
Mg. +
xx
xx Mg
2+
xx
x

- MgCl 2
. Cl
x Cl x xx
x x x
xx x
xx
AN = 12 AN = 17

EC = 2,8,2 EC = 2,8,7
 Ionic compounds (Electrovalent compounds) :-
Ionic compounds are compounds formed by the transfer of
electrons from a metal to a non metal.
Properties of ionic compounds :-
i) They are formed by the transfer of electrons and are made up of ions.
i) They are crystalline solids.
ii) They have high melting points and boiling points.
iii) They are soluble in water but insoluble in organic solvents (like
petrol, kerosene etc.)
iv) They conduct electricity in molten state or in solution.
 Occurence of metals :-
Most metals are found as oxides, carbonates, sulphides, halides etc. Some
metals like gold, silver, platinum etc. are found in the free state in the earth’s
crust because they are least reactive.

Minerals :- are elements or compounds which occur naturally inside the

earth’s crust.

Ore :- is a mineral from which metals can be extracted profitably.

Gangue :- is the impurities present in the ore like rock particles, sand
particles, clay particles etc.
 Extraction of metals from their ores :-
Metals are extracted from their ores in three main steps.
They are :-
• i) Concentration of the ore (Enrichment of the ore).
• ii) Reduction to the metal.
•iii) Refining (Purification of the metal).
Concentration of the ore :- is the removal of gangue
(impurities) from the ore by different methods.
i) Extraction of metals low in the activity series :-
ii) Extraction of metals in the middle of the activity series :
 Thermit reactions :-
Sometimes reactive metals like Na, Ca, Al etc. are used as reducing agents to
obtain metals from their oxides.
Eg :- 3MnO2 + 4Al Mn + 3Al 2O3 + Heat
(Manganese (Manganese)
dioxide)
The reaction between metal oxides and aluminium is highly exothermic and
the metals are obtained in molten state. Such reactions are called thermit
reactions.

The reaction between iron oxide and aluminium produces molten iron. This
reaction is used to join rail tracks, broken machine parts etc.
 GENERAL

Fe2O3 + 2Al Al2O3 + 2Fe + Heat

 iii) Extraction of metals at the top of the activity series :-
Metals at the top of the activity series like K, Na, Ca, Al etc. cannot be obtained from their
ores by simple heating or by heating with reducing agents. They are obtained by electrolytic
reduction of their molten chlorides.

Eg :- When electric current is passed through molten sodium chloride, sodium metal is
deposited at the cathode and chlorine gas is deposited at the anode.
At cathode :- Na + + e - Na (Sodium metal)
At anode :- 2Cl - Cl2 + 2e - (Chlorine gas)
 Refining of metals :-
The removal of impurities from the metal to obtain the pure metal is called
refining of metals. The most common method for refining of metals is
electrolytic refining.
In this method a block of the impure metal is made the anode and a thin
sheet of the pure metal is made the cathode. The electrolyte is a salt solution
of the metal to be purified.
When electric current is passed through the electrolyte, pure metal from the
anode is deposited at the cathode and the impurities settle down as anode
mud.
Steps involved in the extraction of metals from their ores :-
Ore

Metals of Metals of Metals of

high reactivity medium reactivity low reactivity

Electrolysis of
molten ore Carbonate ore Sulphide ore Sulphide ore

Pure metal Calcination Roasting Roasting

Oxide of metal Metal

Reduction to metal Refining

Refining
 Corrosion :-
Corrosion is the damage caused to metals due to the reaction of metals
with oxygen, moisture, carbon dioxide etc.
Eg :- Formation of brown coating of rust over iron.
Formation of green coating of basic copper carbonate over copper.
Formation of black coating of silver sulphide over silver.
Prevention of corrosion :-
i) Applying oil or grease.
ii) Applying paint.
iii) By galvanization. (Coating with zinc)
iv) By tinning. (Coating with tin)
v) By electroplating. (Coating a less reactive metal like chromium)
vi) By alloying. (Making alloys)
 Alloy :-
An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of a metal with other metals or
non metal.
Eg :- Steel – iron, carbon
Stainless steel – iron, carbon, cobalt, nickel
Brass – copper, zinc
Bronze – copper, tin
Solder – Lead, tin (used for welding electrical wires together)

If one of the metals in an alloy is mercury, it is called an amalgam.