Introduction

Most of the elements on the periodic table are metals. Metals are different to non-metals and they have different properties. We can spot if an element is a metal by taking a good look at it and deciding if it has the following properties common to metals:

Metals are ……..	solids at room temperature except mercury, which is a liquid!
Metals have ……	very high melting points.
Metals are ……..	shiny when cut.
Metals are ……..	able to form special mixtures called alloys with other metals.
Metals are ……..	good conductors of heat and electricity.
Metals are ……..	usually strong and malleable so they can be hammered into shape.

Alloys are mixtures of metals that share the properties of each metal contained in the mixture. Pure aluminium is not very strong but it is light. When it is mixed with the strong metal copper the alloy formed is very light but very strong and can be used to make aeroplanes and cars.

The Reactivity Series

Reactivity of metals: Some metals are very reactive but some hardly react at all. Potassium is so reactive that you can't even leave it out in the air. It reacts so violently with water a violet flame is produced. However gold doesn't react with anything it meets in everyday life, which is why it is so good for jewellery. We can put all known metals into a special order with the most reactive metals at the top and the least reactive metals right down at the bottom. This list is called the reactivity series.

The Reactivity Series:

Potassium
Sodium
Lithium
Calcium
Magnesium
Aluminium
Carbon
Zinc
Iron
Tin
Lead
Copper
Silver
Gold
Platinum

Common Reactions of Metals

Metals react with air to produce metal oxides
Metal + oxygen = Metal Oxide

Metals react with water to produce metal hydroxides and hydrogen
Metal + Water = Metal Hydroxide + Hydrogen

Metals react with acid to produce metal salts and hydrogen
Metal + Acid = Metal salt + Hydrogen

Displacement Reactions

A more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from its compound. Sounds complicated doesn't it? Lets consider a story of true romance………………

Olivia oxide is a very happy young lady, she's got a boyfriend. Olivia was first attracted to her fella, Timmy Tin, because he was a fun and reactive guy. He liked to watch TV and listen to music and Olivia enjoyed his company. They were bonded together as a couple. Olivia, like lots of her friends, was attracted to fun and outgoing lads who were reactive, so she enjoyed watching telly with Timmy. Some boys, like Pete Platinum were really dull and unreactive. Pete just sat in a room all day doing nothing, ugh nobody was attracted to him. Then one day came along the young free and single Marcus Magnesium, he was a real babe magnet. Marcus was always out on the town in discos or bowling or skating or at the cinema, he did them all! All the girls were attracted to Marcus because he was so reactive and full of life. Olivia bumped into Marcus and it was love at first site. She was so attracted to him that she forgot all about poor Timmy. Marcus was so much more reactive and Olivia loved it. She left Timmy straight away and boned to Marcus, leaving Timmy all on his own.

This is how displacement reactions occur. If a metal oxide comes into contact with a more reactive metal the oxide is attracted to the reactive metal. The metal oxide then splits up because the oxide leaves to form a new compound with the reactive metal, leaving the less reactive metal all on its own. This happens in just the same way as Olivia leaving Timmy to be with the more reactive Marcus.

Extraction of Metals

We can find very unreactive metals in the ground ready to use. Examples of these metals are gold and platinum. Metals that are found further up the reactivity series occur naturally but they are not found in pure forms. The metals are found bonded to other elements such as oxygen. These substances that contain metals are called ores. Metals such as iron and aluminium are found in their ores. We have known that metals can be extracted (removed) from their ores since the prehistoric times. The most reactive metals have only been extracted from their ores in more recent times. We have only recently been able to discover methods for their efficient and safe extraction.