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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Oct 11, 2023
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Comparison Chart

Electrical Conductivity

Good conductor
Poor conductor
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Malleability

Malleable
Brittle
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Luster

Shiny
Dull
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Electron Transfer

Loses electrons
Gains electrons
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Physical State

Often solid
Can be gaseous or solid
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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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Nonmetal

Nonmetals usually form negative ions by gaining electrons.
Oxygen, a nonmetal, forms oxide ions in reactions.
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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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Nonmetal

Nonmetals can exist in multiple physical states at room temperature.
Bromine, a nonmetal, is liquid at room temperature.
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Oct 11, 2023

Metal

Metals are typically malleable and ductile.
Copper, a metal, is often drawn into wires.
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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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Metal

Metals often form metallic bonds with other metals.
Alloys like bronze contain copper, a metal, mixed with tin.
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Nonmetal

Nonmetals are typically poor conductors of heat and electricity.
Sulfur, a nonmetal, is used in the vulcanization of rubber.
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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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Nonmetal

Nonmetals typically have lower melting and boiling points than metals.
Iodine, a nonmetal, sublimates directly from solid to vapor.
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Metal

An alloy of two or more metallic elements.
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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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Metal

An object made of metal.
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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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Metal

Basic character; mettle.
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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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Metal

Broken stones used for road surfaces or railroad beds.
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Nonmetal

A chemical element lacking typical metallic properties
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Metal

Molten glass, especially when used in glassmaking.
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Nonmetal

Not containing or resembling or characteristic of a metal;
Nonmetallic elements
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Metal

Molten cast iron.
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Metal

(Printing) Type made of metal.
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Metal

(Music) Heavy metal.
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Metal

To cover or surface (a roadbed, for example) with broken stones.
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Metal

(heading) Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where their ores come from.
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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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Metal

Any material with similar physical properties, such as an alloy.
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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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Metal

Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
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Metal

(mining) The ore from which a metal is derived.
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Metal

(obsolete) A mine from which ores are taken.
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Metal

(tincture) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
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Metal

Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.
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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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Metal

The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.
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Metal

The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.
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Metal

The rails of a railway.
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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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Metal

(music) Characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
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Metal

Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.
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Metal

To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.
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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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Metal

Ore from which a metal is derived; - so called by miners.
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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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Metal

Courage; spirit; mettle. See Mettle.
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Metal

The broken stone used in macadamizing roads and ballasting railroads.
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Metal

The effective power or caliber of guns carried by a vessel of war.
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Metal

Glass in a state of fusion.
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Metal

The rails of a railroad.
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Metal

To cover with metal; as, to metal a ship's bottom; to metal a road.
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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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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

Cover with metal
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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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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

What type of ion do metals usually form?

Metals usually form positive ions.
Janet White
Oct 11, 2023

Are metals typically lustrous?

Yes, metals typically exhibit a shiny, lustrous appearance.
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Do metals tend to be malleable and ductile?

Yes, metals tend to be both malleable and ductile.
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What physical state are most metals in at room temperature?

Metals are typically solid at room temperature.
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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 Riaz
Sawaira 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 Saeed
Huma 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.

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