Metals and Metalworking

What is a metal?

Metals are very distinctive materials which can be in the form of an element, a compound or an alloy. They tend to be hard, reflective of light but opaque (you cannot see through them). Metals make up the largest group of elements in the periodic table.

What kind of properties do metals have?

Most metals are very strong. They have high melting points and they have high heat and electrical conductivity. They are also malleable, which means they can be beaten or pressed into thin sheets.

Compare some of the following metals. Their melting points, densities (a measure of how much mass, or weight is ‘packed’ into a given space) and some of their uses are listed below. Metals generally...

• form coloured compounds

• are good conductors of heat and electricity

• can be hammered or bent into shape easily

• are less reactive than alkali metals such as sodium

• have high melting points - (ex. mercury)

• are usually hard and tough

• have high densities 

Ore extraction

Metals are not found in the ground in their commercial, ready to use form. Instead, they are mined and extracted in rocks in an oxidised, more stable state. In order to produce useful metals in sheet or billet form, we need to first extract and refine them. Here is are some example of two common metals.