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🔩 Metals and Non-Metals

Shiny, strong, and conductive versus dull and brittle — discover what sets metals apart from non-metals and why each is chosen for the jobs it does.

lessons

~15 min

to learn

🔬 Science

subject

Teens

level

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What you’ll learn

What Makes a MetalDescribe the shared properties of metals and give examples of their uses.Metals are usually shiny, strong, and solid, and they conduct heat and electricity well. They are malleable and ductile, so they can be shaped and drawn into wire. Copper is used for wires and steel for bridges because of these properties.
Non-MetalsDescribe the shared properties of non-metals and give examples.Non-metals are usually dull, poor conductors, and brittle if solid, and many are gases at room temperature. Sulfur and carbon are dull, brittle solids, while oxygen and nitrogen are gases in the air. Non-metals rarely conduct electricity.
Comparing and UsingCompare metals and non-metals and explain how their properties decide their uses.Metals are shiny, conductive, and malleable, while non-metals are dull, poor conductors, and often gaseous. These properties decide uses: copper for wires because it conducts, iron for bridges because it is strong, and non-metals as insulators because they do not conduct.

Questions this course answers

Which of these is a typical property of a metal?

Metals are typically shiny when polished and conduct heat and electricity well, unlike non-metals.

Why are electrical wires usually made of copper?

Copper is an excellent conductor, letting electricity flow through it easily, so it is ideal for wires.

What does it mean that a metal is malleable?

Malleable means a metal can be hammered or bent into shape without shattering, which is why metals can be formed into so many objects.

Which of these is a typical property of a non-metal?

Non-metals are usually dull and poor conductors, and if solid they are brittle. Many are gases.

Which of these elements is a non-metal?

Oxygen is a non-metal — a gas at room temperature that does not conduct electricity. Iron, copper, and gold are all metals.

Iron and steel are chosen for bridges mainly because they are...

Iron and steel are very strong, so they can hold the huge weight of bridges and buildings.

Grounded in trusted sources

Royal Society of Chemistry
BBC Bitesize
Britannica
American Chemical Society

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

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