The properties of metals
Metals occur in nature both as free metals and as compounds.
Gold and silver are found free. Iron, aluminium, magnesium, sodium and most others are found only as their compounds — they are too reactive to survive uncombined.
Physical properties
- They have a characteristic shine — metallic lustre.
- They give a ringing sound when struck.
- They are solid at ordinary temperature — mercury is the exception, and is liquid at ordinary temperature.
- They can be beaten into thin sheets (malleability) and drawn into a wire (ductility).
- They are good conductors of heat and electricity.
- They usually have a high density.
Chemical properties
- Metals form positive ions — cations — by giving out electrons.
- Metals combine with oxygen to form basic oxides.
- Those oxides dissolve in water to give basic solutions.
The link back to section 3.5
"Giving out electrons" is exactly what a low ionization energy means. Metals sit on the left of the periodic table, which is where ionization energy is lowest — so the chemistry and the position are the same fact told twice.