Metals vs Nonmetals: What's the Difference?
Look at a periodic table and most of it is metals — but the small patch of nonmetals on the right side includes oxygen, carbon, and nitrogen, the elements life is made of. Telling the two groups apart is one of the first skills that makes the periodic table feel readable. The short answer: metals tend to be shiny, conduct electricity, bend without breaking, and lose electrons. Nonmetals tend to be dull, don't conduct, are brittle when solid, and gain or share electrons. On the periodic table, a zig-zag staircase line separates the metals (left and centre) from the nonmetals (upper right). Quick comparison at a glance Feature Metals Nonmetals Position on the table Left and centre (most of it) Upper right Appearance Shiny (lustrous) Dull Electrical/heat conductivity Good conductors Poor (insulators) When solid Malleable & ductile (bend, stretch) Brittle (shatter) State at room temperature Mostly solid (mercury is liquid) Gases, liquids, or ...