Metal vs. Nonmetal: What's the Difference?
Edited by Huma Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on October 11, 2023
Metals are typically shiny, malleable, and conductive, while nonmetals usually are dull, brittle, and insulators.
Key Differences
Metals exhibit qualities such as malleability and ductility, which allow them to be reshaped without breaking. Nonmetals, in stark contrast, are generally brittle and cannot be reshaped or drawn into wires as metals can.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 11, 2023
Metals are generally good conductors of electricity, providing a passage for electric currents with ease. Nonmetals, conversely, tend to be poor conductors, resisting the flow of electrical currents and often acting as insulators.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 11, 2023
Metals tend to have a shiny or lustrous appearance, reflecting light effectively. Nonmetals, on the opposite end, do not have this metallic luster and frequently appear dull or matte in aesthetic appeal.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 11, 2023
Metals usually display high melting and boiling points, meaning they can remain solid at higher temperatures. Nonmetals, however, usually have lower melting and boiling points, often existing as gases or fragile solids at room temperature.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 11, 2023
Metals tend to form positive ions by losing electrons during chemical reactions, showcasing their electropositive character. Nonmetals, in comparison, usually gain electrons, forming negative ions, thus demonstrating their electronegative nature.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 11, 2023
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Comparison Chart
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Metal and Nonmetal Definitions
Metal
A metal is a hard, shiny material that conducts heat and electricity.
Iron, a metal, is used to construct bridges.
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Oct 11, 2023
Nonmetal
Nonmetals usually form negative ions by gaining electrons.
Oxygen, a nonmetal, forms oxide ions in reactions.
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Oct 11, 2023
Metal
Metals can lose electrons and form positive ions in reactions.
Sodium, a metal, loses an electron to become positively charged.
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Oct 11, 2023
Nonmetal
Nonmetals can exist in multiple physical states at room temperature.
Bromine, a nonmetal, is liquid at room temperature.
Harlon Moss
Oct 11, 2023
Metal
Metals are typically malleable and ductile.
Copper, a metal, is often drawn into wires.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 11, 2023
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Nonmetal
Nonmetals generally lack the luster that metals possess.
Carbon, a nonmetal, appears dull and black in its graphite form.
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Oct 11, 2023
Metal
Metals often form metallic bonds with other metals.
Alloys like bronze contain copper, a metal, mixed with tin.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 11, 2023
Nonmetal
Nonmetals are typically poor conductors of heat and electricity.
Sulfur, a nonmetal, is used in the vulcanization of rubber.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 11, 2023
Metal
Any of a category of electropositive elements that usually have a shiny surface, are generally good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn into wires. Typical metals form salts with nonmetals, basic oxides with oxygen, and alloys with one another.
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Nov 29, 2022
Nonmetal
Nonmetals typically have lower melting and boiling points than metals.
Iodine, a nonmetal, sublimates directly from solid to vapor.
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Oct 11, 2023
Nonmetal
Any of a number of elements, such as oxygen or sulfur, that lack the physical and chemical properties of metals.
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Nov 29, 2022
Nonmetal
(chemistry) An element, such as phosphorus or chlorine, that does not have the chemical or physical properties of a metal.
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Nov 29, 2022
Nonmetal
Any one of the set of elements which, as contrasted with the metals, possess, produce, or receive, acid rather than basic properties; a metalloid; as, oxygen, sulphur, and chlorine are nonmetals.
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Nov 29, 2022
Nonmetal
Not containing or resembling or characteristic of a metal;
Nonmetallic elements
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
(heading) Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where their ores come from.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and hard, often a conductor of heat and electricity.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
(astronomy) An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
(tincture) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
(music) A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.
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Metal
The actual airline operating a flight, rather than any of the codeshare operators.
We have American Airlines tickets, but it's on British Airways metal.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
An elementary substance, as sodium, calcium, or copper, whose oxide or hydroxide has basic rather than acid properties, as contrasted with the nonmetals, or metalloids. No sharp line can be drawn between the metals and nonmetals, and certain elements partake of both acid and basic qualities, as chromium, manganese, bismuth, etc.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
A mine from which ores are taken.
Slaves . . . and persons condemned to metals.
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Metal
The substance of which anything is made; material; hence, constitutional disposition; character; temper.
Not till God make men of some other metal than earth.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
Any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
A mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten;
Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper
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Metal
Containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal;
A metallic compound
Metallic luster
The strange metallic note of the meadow lark, suggesting the clash of vibrant blades
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Nov 29, 2022
Metal
Metals usually exhibit high density and high melting points.
Lead, a dense metal, is used in radiation shielding.
Janet White
Oct 11, 2023
FAQs
Are nonmetals good conductors of electricity?
No, nonmetals are generally poor conductors of electricity.
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Oct 11, 2023
Can nonmetals be found in a gaseous state?
Yes, some nonmetals exist in a gaseous state at room temperature.
Sara Rehman
Oct 11, 2023
Are metals typically lustrous?
Yes, metals typically exhibit a shiny, lustrous appearance.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 11, 2023
Do metals tend to be malleable and ductile?
Yes, metals tend to be both malleable and ductile.
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Oct 11, 2023
What physical state are most metals in at room temperature?
Metals are typically solid at room temperature.
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Oct 11, 2023
How do nonmetals typically react in terms of electron transfer?
Nonmetals typically gain electrons, forming negative ions.
Sara Rehman
Oct 11, 2023
Do nonmetals have high melting points?
Typically, nonmetals have lower melting and boiling points than metals.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 11, 2023
Can nonmetals be shiny?
Nonmetals are generally not shiny and exhibit a dull appearance.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 11, 2023
Do metals have high melting points?
Generally, metals have high melting and boiling points.
Harlon Moss
Oct 11, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Huma SaeedHuma is a renowned researcher acclaimed for her innovative work in Difference Wiki. Her dedication has led to key breakthroughs, establishing her prominence in academia. Her contributions continually inspire and guide her field.
