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Classification of General Properties: Cation

This document discusses the classification of elements into metals, nonmetals, and metalloids based on their general properties. It provides details on the properties of metals, which tend to be shiny, dense, and good conductors of heat and electricity. These properties arise from metals having positive ions surrounded by mobile electrons. The document also discusses the specific properties of alkali metals, the most reactive family of elements that must be stored in oil and react vigorously with air, halogens, and other nonmetals.

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47 views1 page

Classification of General Properties: Cation

This document discusses the classification of elements into metals, nonmetals, and metalloids based on their general properties. It provides details on the properties of metals, which tend to be shiny, dense, and good conductors of heat and electricity. These properties arise from metals having positive ions surrounded by mobile electrons. The document also discusses the specific properties of alkali metals, the most reactive family of elements that must be stored in oil and react vigorously with air, halogens, and other nonmetals.

Uploaded by

Harsha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CLASSIFICATION OF GENERAL PROPERTIES

The general properties of elements allow them to be divided into three classificationsmetals, nonmetals and metalloids.
The distribution of metals is shown in your Periodic Table as boxes colored yellow, purple and two shades of blue. Metalloid
elements are in the diagonal boxes colored pink and nonmetal elements are above the diagonal line to the right of the
metalloids, in boxes colored green, gold, and red. Notice that hydrogen's box is colored green, even though it is at the top of
a group of metals.

METALS
As you can see, the vast majority of the known elements are metals. Many metals are easily
recognized by non-chemists. Common examples are copper, lead, silver and gold. In general,
metals have a luster, are quite dense, are good conductors of heat and electricity. They tend to be
soft, malleable and ductile (meaning that they are easily shaped and can be drawn into fine
wires without breaking).
All of these properties are directly related to the fact that solid metals are crystals formed from positive ions surrounded by
mobile electrons. This mobility allows electrons to absorb and reflect light in many wavelengths, giving the metals their
typical luster. It also permits electrons to absorb thermal and electrical energy from the environment or neighboring
electrons and transfer this energy to other electrons; in this way, heat and electricity can be conducted throughout the metal.
These mobile electrons hold the positive metallic ions so tightly that even when the metal sample is only a few layers thick,
as in gold foil, the sample stays intact. So, the density, malleability, and ductility of metals are also due to electron mobility.
The difference in the coloring on the Periodic Table indicates that the most metallic elements are those on the left side of
the table. The Group I Alkali Metals and the Group II Alkaline Earths have more metallic characteristics than elements
farther right whose square are colored blue, especially those that border on the metalloid elements. Generally speaking, the
most metallic metals are in the bottom left corner. As you move toward the upper right on the periodic table, elements
become less metallic in property.

ALKALI METALS
The alkali (IA) metals show a closer relationship in their properties than do any other family of elements in the
periodic table. Alkali metals are so chemically reactive that they are never found in the element form in nature.
All these metals react spontaneously with gases in the air, so they must be kept immersed in oil in the
storeroom. They are so soft that they can be cut with an ordinary table knife, revealing a very "buttery," silvery
metal surface that immediately turns dull as it reacts with water vapor and oxygen in the air. The chemical
reactivity of alkali metals increases as the atomic number increases.
Their reactions with halogens, elements in Group VIIA, are especially spectacular because some of them emit both light and
heat energy. They react with other nonmetals, albeit more slowly, forming compounds that are very stable. They also react
with acids, forming hydrogen gas and salts; with water they form hydrogen gas and metallic hydroxides, which are
sometimes called bases. They react with hydrogen to form metallic hydrides, which form strong bases in water. In all these
reactions, the metals form ionic compounds, in which each metal atom loses one electron to form a positively-charged ion or
cation.
All compounds of alkali metals are soluble in water. These compounds are widely distributed. Large mineral deposits of
relatively pure compounds of sodium and potassium are found in many parts of the world. Sodium and potassium chlorides
are among the most abundant compounds in sea water. Potassium compounds are found in all plants and sodium and
potassium compounds are essential to animal lifeincluding human life. Lithium (Li) is the alkali metal of most interest to
Genesis scientists.

STUDENT TEXT

GENESIS

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