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Properties and uses of metals
Metals are amongst our most valuable resources. Thousands of years ago, people used metals such as Copper and Iron to make weapons and everyday objects. These metals are still in use today. Additional recommended knowledgeProperties of metalsThe five most used metals are: 1)Iron 2)Aluminum 3)Copper 4)Zinc The general physical properties of metals are:
The properties of metals make them suitable for different uses in daily life.
Properties of AlloysAn alloy is a metal mixed with other elements. The properties of an alloy are different from those of pure metals. Some alloys are listed below.
Chemical properties of metalsMany substances on the Earth's surface will at sometime come in contact with air, water or acids. Therefore the shiny surface of most metals becomes dull in time. This is due to a slow chemical reaction between the surface of the metal and oxygen in the air. The reaction forms only one product; a surface coating of the metal oxide. The general word equation is: metal+oxygen → metal oxide For example: The dull appearance of the metal lead is due to a coating of lead oxide. If the surface is scratched then the shiny lead metal can be seen underneath. Heating can speed up the reaction with oxygen. If a piece of copper is heated it quickly becomes coated in black copper oxide. The word equation is: copper + oxygen → copper oxide |
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Properties_and_uses_of_metals". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia. |