Physical properties of metals include:

1) shininess

2) malleability

3) ductility

4) conductivity

a material that can be pulled out, or drawn, into a long wire (copper is an example)

the ability of an object to transfer heat or electricity to another object

the ease and speed with which an element combines, or reacts, with other elements and compounds (metals usually react by losing electrons to other atoms)

the destruction of metal by turning to a reddish-brown rust (this happens because the metal reacts with oxygen in the air, forming iron oxide, or rust.)

material that can be hammered or rolled into flat sheets and other shapes (copper is both malleable and ductile)

The reactivity of metals tends to decrease as you ove from left to right across the periodic table

metals in Group 1 (from lithium to francium)

• react by losing 1 electron
• are never found uncombined in nature
• 2 most important alkali metals are sodium and potassium

Group 2 of the periodic table

• each metal is hard, gray-white, and a good conductor of electricity
• are never found uncombined in nature
• they react by losing 2 electrons
• 2 most common are magnesium and calcium

elements in Group 3 through 12 of the periodic table

• include iron, copper, nickel, silver, and gold
• most are hard and shiny
• are good conductors of electricity
• form colorful compounds
• less reactive than metals in Groups 1 and 2

Elements that follow uranium are made-or synthesized- when nuclear particles are forced to crash into one another

move atomic nuclei faster and faster until they have reached very high speeds