Metallic and Nonmetallic
Character
Ck12 Science
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Printed: January 5, 2016
AUTHOR
Ck12 Science
www.ck12.org
C HAPTER
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Chapter 1. Metallic and Nonmetallic Character
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Metallic and Nonmetallic
Character
Define metallic character.
Define non-metallic character.
Describe trends in metallic character in the periodic table.
Describe trends in non-metallic character in the periodic table.
What are we eating as a nation?
The graph above indicates some trends in our diet over a thirty-year period. By observing the direction our eating
habits are going, we can take steps to help prevent bad eating habits and decrease problems such as high blood
pressure and heart attacks.
Development of the periodic table has helped organize chemical information in many ways. We can now see trends
among properties of different atoms and make predictions about the behavior of specific materials.
Metallic and Nonmetallic Character
Metallic character refers to the level of reactivity of a metal. Metals tend to lose electrons in chemical reactions,
as indicated by their low ionization energies. Within a compound, metal atoms have relatively low attraction for
electrons, as indicated by their low electronegativities. By following the trend summary in the figure below, you
can see that the most reactive metals would reside in the lower left portion of the periodic table. The most reactive
metal is cesium, which is not found in nature as a free element. It reacts explosively with water and will ignite
spontaneously in air. Francium is below cesium in the alkali metal group, but is so rare that most of its properties
have never been observed.
Reactivity of metals is based on processes such as the formation of halide compounds with halogens and how easily
they displace hydrogen from dilute acids.
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FIGURE 1.1
Trends in behaviors of elements.
The metallic character increases as you go down a group. Since the ionization energy decreases going down a group
(or increases going up a group), the increased ability for metals lower in a group to lose electrons makes them more
reactive. In addition, the atomic radius increases going down a group, placing the outer electrons further away from
the nucleus and making that electron less attracted by the nucleus.
Nonmetals tend to gain electrons in chemical reactions and have a high attraction for electrons within a compound.
The most reactive nonmetals reside in the upper right portion of the periodic table. Since the noble gases are a special
group because of their lack of reactivity, the element fluorine is the most reactive nonmetal. It is not found in nature
as a free element. Fluorine gas reacts explosively with many other elements and compounds and is considered to be
one of the most dangerous known substances.
Note that there is no clear division between metallic and non-metallic character. As we move across the periodic
table, there is an increasing tendency to accept electrons (non-metallic) and a decrease in the possibility that an atom
would give up one or more electrons.
Summary
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Metallic character refers to the level of reactivity of a metal.
Non-metallic character relates to the tendency to accept electrons during chemical reactions.
Metallic tendency increases going down a group.
Non-metallic tendency increases going from left to right across the periodic table.
Practice
Questions
Use the link below to answer the following questions:
http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/majors/tutorialnotefiles/metals.htm
1. List three characteristics of metals.
2. List three characteristics of non-metals.
3. Give two differences between metals and non-metals that would affect metallic and non-metallic properties.
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Chapter 1. Metallic and Nonmetallic Character
Review
Questions
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Define “metallic character.”
Define “non-metallic character.”
Describe the trend in metallic character going down a group.
Describe the trend in non-metallic character going across the periodic table.
Why does the metallic character increase as you go down a group?
• metallic: Refers to the level of reactivity of a metal.
• nonmetallic: Relates to the tendency to accept electrons during chemical reactions.
References
1. Recreated by CK-12 Foundation based on data from the CDC. Food Trend Graph .
2. User:Mirek2/Wikimedia Commons. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Periodic_trends.svg .
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