Properties of Metals

N-level Science (Chemistry)

Chapter 10
Chp 10: Properties of Metals 2
Chp 10: Properties of Metals 3
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 Metals are Important!
• Many things in our daily lives are made of metals.
• Cars, trains, ships, bridges, pots, utensils and
jewellery.

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 Metals –
Physical Properties
 Good conductors of electricity
 Good conductors of heat
 Shiny
 High melting points and boiling points
 High density
– Little empty space between
the closely packed atoms

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 7

 Metals –
Physical Properties
6. Ductile
– means can be stretched into wires

7. Malleable
– means can be bent and beaten into shapes

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 8

 Metals –
Physical Properties
• Metals are malleable and ductile because layers of
atoms in a metal can slide over each other easily when
a force is applied.

PUSH

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 9

 Are there exceptions?
• Eg: Sodium Yes
– Low melting point
– Low density (floats on water)

• Eg: Mercury
– Low melting point
– Liquid at room temperature

Just remember…
all metals conduct electricity
Chp 10: Properties of Metals 10
 Alloys
• An alloy is a mixture of metallic elements
• Some also contain non-metallic elements
• Pure metals are too soft and weak for most uses
• Alloys are much stronger and harder than pure metals

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 Alloys
In an alloy of 2 metals, the
atoms have different sizes atoms of a different metal
• Orderly layers of atoms are
disrupted
• Making it difficult for the
layers to slide over each
other
• Therefore, alloys are harder
and stronger than pure
metals
Structure of an Alloy

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 12

 Examples of Alloys

name of alloy composition uses

iron + carbon + a little car bodies;
mild steel
manganese machinery

iron + carbon + large amounts cutlery; pipes and

stainless steel
of chromium and nickel tanks

bronze copper + tin trophies

brass copper + zinc musical instruments

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 Metals –
Chemical properties
1. Most metals react with water.

• Reactive metals can react with cold water

Metal + water metal hydroxide + hydrogen

• Less reactive metals react with steam

Metal + steam metal oxide + hydrogen

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 14

 Metals with water!
metal reactivity reaction with water / steam

potassium
cold water
more reactive
sodium metal + water 
metal hydroxide + hydrogen
calcium
magnesium
steam
zinc less reactive metal + steam 
metal oxide + hydrogen
iron
lead
copper and unreactive no reaction
gold
Chp 10: Properties of Metals 15
 Reactive metals with water

metal reaction with water equation

potassium + Water 
Potassium reacts very potassium hydroxide +
potassium vigorously with cold hydrogen
water.
2K + 2H2O 2KOH + H2
sodium + water sodium
Sodium reacts vigorously hydroxide + hydrogen
sodium
with cold water.
2Na + 2H2O 2NaOH + H2
calcium + water calcium
Calcium reacts quickly hydroxide + hydrogen
calcium Ca + 2H2O 
with cold water.
Ca(OH) 2 + H2

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 16

 Less Reactive metals with
water
metal reaction with water equation
• Magnesium reacts very
magnesium + steam 
slowly with cold water.
magnesium magnesium oxide + hydrogen
• Hot magnesium reacts
Mg + H2O MgO + H2
vigorously with steam.
zinc + steam zinc oxide +
Hot zinc reacts quickly with hydrogen
zinc
steam.
Zn + H2O ZnO + H2
Hot iron reacts slowly with iron + steam iron oxide +
iron steam to produce iron (II, hydrogen
III) oxide. 3Fe + 4H2O Fe3O4 + 4H2

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 17

 Metals –
Chemical Properties

1. Most metals react with dilute hydrochloric acid.

metal + hydrochloric acid  metal chloride + hydrogen

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 Reactive metals with
hydrochloric acid
metal reaction with HCl equation
potassium + hydrochloric
Potassium explodes with acid potassium chloride
potassium + hydrogen
dilute hydrochloric acid.
2K + 2HCl2KCl + H2
sodium + hydrochloric acid
Sodium explodes with sodium chloride +
sodium hydrogen
dilute hydrochloric acid.
2Na + 2HCl
calcium 2NaCl + H2
+ hydrochloric
Calcium reacts very fast acid calcium chloride +
calcium with dilute hydrochloric hydrogen
acid.
Ca + 2HCl CaCl2 + H2

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 19

 Less Reactive metals
Hydrochloric acid
metal reaction with HCl equation
magnesium + hydrochloric
Magnesium reacts fast acid magnesium chloride
magnesium with dilute hydrochloric + hydrogen
acid.
Mg + 2HCl MgCl2 + H2
Zinc reacts moderately zinc + hydrochloric acid 
zinc fast with dilute zinc chloride + hydrogen
hydrochloric acid. Zn + 2HCl ZnCl2 + H2
iron + hydrochloric acid 
Iron reacts slowly with iron chloride + hydrogen
iron
dilute hydrochloric acid.
Fe + 2HCl FeCl2 + H2

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 20

 Test for Hydrogen gas
lighted splint

Hydrogen burns
with a ‘pop’ sound
when tested with
lighted splint.
metal + acid

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 21

 Question!

The diagram
shows the
reaction of 4
metals with
hydrochloric acid.
Arrange the
metals in order of
reactivity,
starting from
the most
1 4 3 2
reactive.

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 The Reactivity Series

Metals can be listed

in order of their
chemical reactivity

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 The Reactivity Series
Corrodes Potassium Most
Reacts more reactive Forms
more Sodium
vigorously with positive ion
easily
chemicals Calcium more easily

Magnesium
Aluminium
Zinc
Iron
Tin
Lead
(Hydrogen)
Reacts less Copper Forms
Corrodes vigorously with positive
Silver Least
ion less
less easily chemicals reactive
Chp 10: Properties of Metals Gold easily 24
 The Reactivity Series
A metal ‘high up’ in the
reactivity series:

• Reacts vigorously with

chemical
• Readily gives up electrons
in reactions to form
positive ions
• Corrodes easily
Chp 10: Properties of Metals
A metal ‘low down’ in the
reactivity series:
• Does not react vigorously
with chemicals
• Does not readily give up
electrons to form positive
ions
• Does not corrode easily
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 Reactivity of Aluminium
• Although aluminium is quite high up in the reactivity
series, it appears unreactive

Why?

• It is because the metal is covered with a thin layer of

oxide that protects the metal from reacting.
• This explains why aluminium is corrosion-resistant.

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 26

 Hydrogen in the
Reactivity Series
• Hydrogen is a non-
metal.
• It is placed in the
Reactivity Series as a
reference point.
• Metals above hydrogen
react with acids to
produce hydrogen gas
• Metals below hydrogen
do not react with acids

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 27

 Using the Reactivity Series
• The reactivity series can be used to predict what
chemical reactions will happen

Eg: Lead is below Zinc

– Lead must be less reactive than Zinc
– If Zinc does not react with cold water, Lead will not react
with cold water

• The position of metal is also helpful when we want to

extract them.

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 28

 Rusting
• Rusting is the corrosion of iron and steel.
• The brown solid product formed during rusting is called
rust; iron (III) oxide Fe2O3

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 Conditions for rusting

Presence of:
• air
• water

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 Preventing Rusting…
Surface protection
• The surface of an object is covered with a layer of
substance to stop air and water from reaching the iron
and steel underneath.
• The layer of substance can be:
– paint
– oil or grease
– plastic
– metal plating
• Iron or steel objects are covered with a thin layer of
another metal eg tin, chromium or silver.

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 31

 Will our things still rust?

Yes

If the layer is broken, air and water can reach the iron
and steel.

Chp 10: Properties of Metals 32

 Magnesium + Water

Chp 10: Properties of Metals back 34