What are the differences between metals and non metals?

Answer 1

Physical Properties Of Metals:

1. Physical state - with exception of Mercury all are solids at room temperature
2. Malleable
3. Ductile
4. Good electric and heat conductivity
5. Lustrous and can be polished ( not advisable for the highly reactive group 1 metals!)
6. Have high density
7. Are generally hard- (group 1 metals and some group 13 and 14 metals are relatively soft
8. Most have high melting and boiling points (notable exceptions are the group1 metals and gallium)
9. Are rigid
10. Are generally sonorous ( a property not associated with the softer metals)

Physical Properties Of Non-Metals:

1. Physical state - 11 are solid ,10 are gases,1 is liquid
2. Non-Malleable
3. Non-Ductile
4. Poo electrical and heat conductivity
5. Non-Lusturous
6. Have Low Density
7. Are soft
8. Have low melting and boiling point
9. Low tensile strength
10. Non Sonorus

Metals are shiny, conduct electricity, generally high melting (but there are exceptions) and malleable/ductile. Chemically they generally form cations. Non-metals are the rest that do not conform to the above criteria. Elements like silicon germanium have some of the metallic characteristics and are usually placed in a special category of their own, the metalloids. This is reasonable as they do not form anions and so the mantra "metals react with non metals to form ionic compounds" could not apply to them. The noble gases are often excluded from the non-metal category as they are very inert.

Answer 2

Metals are sonorous and are lustrous. Metals can conduct electricity well, are malleable, and give electrons when bonding. Non metals do the opposite.