Metals — Overview & Properties

Metals of the Periodic Table

Metals are a broad categorization that make up the largest part of the periodic table. Metals include the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, actinides, lanthanides (includes rare earth metals), and post-transition metals. This encompasses the elements from the left of the periodic table (except hydrogen) over to the right, stopping at the metalloids. The metalloids are the diagonal zig-zag starting at boron (B) and ending at astatine (At)).

Properties of metals include:

• Appearance: solid at room temperature (except mercury, it's a liquid) and silvery outer appearance. Varying hardness, but generally malleable.

• Found in: Various compounds, as a pure substance, or in coordination complexes.

More on Metals

Since metals are a broad category, the types of reactions vary greatly. Transition metals take up a large part of this category. These are the elements that make up the center of the periodic table (groups 3-12). These elements are metals with higher boiling points, higher melting points, and greater hardness than other metals.

Transition metals are also known for having a variety of oxidation states. This means they can lose or gain different numbers of electrons. This reactivity of transition metals also gives rise to a variety of colors in different compounds.

Metals experience a unique type of bonding called metallic bonding. A metal's valence electrons are delocalized. They don't remain with an individual atom. Instead, they flow freely between atoms. We call it a sea of electrons. Because the electrons can move freely, metals are excellent conductors of heat and electricity. The sea of electrons allows us to form alloys. A different metal is inserted into the crystal lattice. The new atoms alter the electrostatic interactions between the nuclei and the electrons. So, an alloy has distinctive properties compared to the original metals.

(Video) Transition metals and their properties | Matter | Chemistry | FuseSchool

By FuseSchool - Global Education

Metals or transition metals are found in the center of the periodic table. These metals differ from metals in group 1 which are soft, low melting point, and reactive. Transition metals have high melting points and low chemical reactivity. Metals also have a greater hardness, making them ideal for use in materials that need structure and resistance to moisture.

The video goes on to compare potassium chloride (KCl) and copper (II) chloride (CuCl$_2$). The "(II)" denotes copper having a 2+ ionic charge. Transition metals can exist at various ionic charges or oxidation states. This is in contrast to group 1 metals which are always +1. KCl is a white powder while CuCl$_2$ is blue-green. The color results from the copper ion. Colored chemical compounds are common when they contain transition metals.

CuCl$_2$ is blue-green while CuCl, where copper is +1, is yellow-green. Manganese or Mn can have ionic charges of +2, +3, +4, +6, and +7. Each of these ions can create compounds with different colors.

Transition metals share chemical and physical properties.