Lists of the Metal vs. Nonmetal Elements Characteristics
METAL VS. NONMETAL ELEMENTS – Here is a guide on the characteristics and the differences between these two (2) types of elements.
There are countless topics discussed in the Philippine educational curriculum and they are divided among the different subjects. Some of these subjects are taught in almost all year levels and one of them is Subject where you can learn about the chemical elements.
The chemical elements are substances that cannot be broken down by chemical reactions. They are composed of atoms and the chances whether or not they will lost atoms in every reaction depends if they are metals, nonmetals, or metalloids.
The metals and nonmetals are among the elements that mostly compose the Periodic Table of Elements which is often discussed in high school. The former compose 75% of the table of elements that the metals even have to be divided among the smaller groups.
When talking about metal vs. nonmetal elements, the two (2) categories have major differences. An element that combines the properties of the metals and nonmetals are called “Metalloids”.
Metals are shiny, good conductors or heat and electricity, malleable or can be hammered, ductile or can be drawn into wires, and have high melting point and density. Nonmetals are dull or not shiny, nonductile solids, poor conductors of heat and electricity, and are brittle solids.
Metals are opaque as thin sheets while nonmetals are transparent as thin sheets. The former is usually solid at room temperature while the latter may be solid, liquid, or gas at a room temperature.
Also part of the differences when you talk about metal vs. nonmetal elements is that metals have low electronegativity values and form oxides that are basic while the latter have higher electronegativities and form oxides that are acidic.
The list of metals in the Periodic Table of Elements is composed of elements that can be found in the left-hand corner of the table while the list of the nonmetals in the Periodic Table of Elements is composed of elements that can be found in the right-hand area.
| Metals | Nonmetals |
| Shiny | Dull |
| Good conductors of heat and electricity | Poor conductors of heat and electricity |
| Malleable | Brittle solids |
| Ductile | Nonductile |
| Opaque thin sheets | Transparent thin sheets |
| Usually solid at room temperature | Solid, liquid, or gas at room temperature |
| Form cations (positive-charged ions) | Form anions (negative-charged ions) |
| Usually 1-3 electrons in outer shell | Usually 4-8 electrons in outer shell |
| Form basic oxides | Form acidic oxides |
| Good reducing agents | Good oxidizing agents |
| Low electronegativity | High electronegativity |
| Low ionization energy | High ionization energy |
| Mostly high melting points | Low melting points |
| Intermediate to large atomic radius | Small to intermediate atomic radius |