List of Metals

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List of Metals - Physical and Chemical properties of Metals
The definition of the term metals is as follows: Metals are chemical elements with general characteristics and similar Physical and Chemical Properties under normal conditions.

The study of metals is called metallurgy. Not all of the metals have the properties and characteristics below. Many elements may be classified as metals according to one set of properties and as non-metals according to another.

Examples: Lead is very soft. Mercury is a liquid. Elements classified as Metalloids have properties of both metals and non-metals.

Check out the links to individual metallic elements (See list of Metals) to discover specific properties and characteristics

Metals are Good Conductors of Heat and Electricity
Metals have a shiny appearance or luster
Metals can be easily beaten into a thin sheet (malleable)
Metals feel heavy - dense
Metals are hard
Metals only melt when they are extremely hot - heat resistant
Metals are sonorous (they make a bell-like sound)
Metals bend rather than break, they are elastic
Metals are resistant to corrosion

List of Metals - The Periodic Table
Nearly 75% of all the elements in the Periodic Table are classified as metals. Examples of metals are gold, aluminium, copper, iron, lead, silver, platinum, uranium and zinc. In the Periodic Table metals are separated into the groups detailed in the following list:

Alkali Metals
Alkaline Earth Metals
Transition Metals
Other Metals
Rare Earth Elements

List of Metals - Alloys
What are alloys? Alloys made of mixtures of at least one metal with either other metals, or with non-metals. Examples of some common alloys are detailed in the following list:

Gunmetal (an alloy made from a mixture of copper, tin, and zinc)
Steel (an alloy made from a mixture of iron and carbon)
Bronze (an alloy made from a mixture of copper and tin)
Brass (an alloy made from a mixture of copper and zinc)

List of Metals - Discovery and History of Metals
Specific Facts and Information about the discovery and history of metals are detailed on the page of each metal, links are provided below in the List of Metals. Some metals were available to and used by some of the oldest civilisations including the Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Greeks and the Ancient Romans. Right up to the Middle Ages it was believed that there were only seven metals. These special metals are referred to as the 'Metals of Antiquity'. The ancient 'Metals of Antiquity' together with their approximate dates of discovery are Gold (6000BC), Copper (9000BC), Silver (4000BC), Lead (6400BC), Tin (3000BC), Iron (1500BC) and Mercury (1500BC). The term “metal” is derived from the Greek word 'metallon' meaning to excavate, as in mines and pits. The materials obtained from various mines were called metalleia by Plato.