Metals, Nonmetals and Metalloids

Elements can be broadly classified as metals, nonmetals and metalloids.
 

Metallic elements • are solid (except for mercury) • are shiny • can be hammered into sheets. • can be drawn out as wires. • characteristically conduct electricity.		aluminium
Nonmetallic elements • may be solids, liquids or gases (if solid, they are brittle) • characteristically do not conduct electricity.		sulfur
Metalloids • look like metals • behave chemically like nonmetals.		silicon

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As shown below, three-quarters of the elements are metals.
Metallic character decreases going to the right across a period and increases going down a group.

Thus the position of an element in the periodic table indicates whether it has metallic or non-metallic characteristics. 

1	2
							1H										2He
3 Li	4 Be											5 B	6 C	7 N	8 O	9 F	10 Ne
11 Na	12 Mg											13 Al	14 Si	15 P	16 S	17 Cl	18 Ar
19 K	20 Ca	21 Sc	22 Ti	23 V	24 Cr	25 Mn	26 Fe	27 Co	28 Ni	29 Cu	30 Zn	31 Ga	32 Ge	33 As	34 Se	35 Br	36 Kr
37 Rb	38 Sr	39 Y	40 Zr	41 Nb	42 Mo	43 Tc	44 Ru	45 Rh	46 Pd	47 Ag	48 Cd	49 In	50 Sn	51 Sb	52 Te	53 I	54 Xe
55 Cs	56 Ba	71 Lu	72 Hf	73 Ta	74 W	75 Re	76 Os	77 Ir	78 Pt	79 Au	80 Hg	81 Tl	82 Pb	83 Bi	84 Po	85 At

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