Direct comparison
Metal vs non-metal
Metals are shiny, conductive elements that tend to lose electrons; non-metals are often dull and poorly conducting, and tend to gain or share electrons.
The step most authors miss
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Side-by-side comparison
| Dimension | Metal | Non-metal |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Shiny (lustrous) when fresh. | Often dull. |
| Conductivity | Good conductor of heat and electricity. | Usually a poor conductor (insulator). |
| Malleability | Malleable and ductile — bends and draws into wire. | Brittle when solid; shatters. |
| State at room temperature | Mostly solids (mercury is liquid). | Solids, liquids or gases. |
| Electron behaviour | Tends to lose electrons, forming positive ions. | Tends to gain or share electrons. |
| Ions formed | Cations (positive). | Anions (negative) or shared bonds. |
| Oxides | Generally basic. | Generally acidic. |
| Position on periodic table | Left and centre. | Upper right. |
| Examples | Iron, copper, gold, sodium, aluminium. | Oxygen, carbon, sulfur, chlorine, helium. |
Metalloids sit on the dividing line
The periodic table separates metals from non-metals along a stepped diagonal line, but the boundary is not perfectly sharp. A small group of elements straddling that line — including silicon, germanium, arsenic and boron — are called metalloids, or semi-metals. They show a mixture of metallic and non-metallic properties: silicon, for example, looks metallic and conducts electricity, but only partly, which is why it is a semiconductor central to electronics. So rather than two rigid categories, it is better to picture a gradual shift in character across the table, with the metalloids forming a transition zone.
Common questions
FAQ
How can I tell a metal from a non-metal?+
Check a few properties together. Metals are usually shiny, conduct heat and electricity well, and can be hammered into shape or drawn into wire. Non-metals are often dull, poor conductors and brittle when solid. Position helps too: metals dominate the left and centre of the periodic table, non-metals the upper right. No single test is foolproof, so look at the overall pattern.
Are all metals solid at room temperature?+
Almost, but not all. The great majority of metals are solid at room temperature, which is why we associate metals with hardness. The exception is mercury, which is a liquid at room temperature. So "metal" does not strictly mean "solid", though it nearly always does in everyday experience.
What is a metalloid?+
A metalloid, or semi-metal, is an element with properties between those of metals and non-metals. Examples include silicon, germanium, arsenic and boron. They may look metallic yet conduct electricity only partially, which makes several of them semiconductors used in electronics. They occupy the stepped boundary zone between metals and non-metals on the periodic table.
Going deeper
