
Of the metals, only mercury is a liquid at room temperature and pressure all the rest are solids. The vast majority of the known elements are metals. Metals are lustrous, whereas nonmetals are not. and most have a shiny appearance, so they are lustrous Having a shiny appearance. Metals are malleable, whereas nonmetals are usually brittle. they can be hammered or pressed into thin sheets or foils because they are malleable The ability to be hammered or pressed into thin sheets or foils. Metals are ductile, whereas nonmetals are usually brittle. Metals-such as copper or gold-are good conductors of electricity and heat they can be pulled into wires because they are ductile The ability to be pulled into wires. The distinction between metals and nonmetals is one of the most fundamental in chemistry. Semimetals (also called metalloids) exhibit properties intermediate between those of metals and nonmetals. As you might expect, elements colored in gold that lie along the diagonal line exhibit properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals they are called semimetals Any element that lies adjacent to the zigzag line in the periodic table that runs from boron to astatine. (in bronze, above and to the right of the line). Nonmetals may be solids, liquids, or gases at room temperature and pressure. (in blue, below and to the left of the line) and nonmetals Any element to the right of the zigzag line in the periodic table that runs from boron to astatine.

All metals except mercury are solids at room temperature and pressure. The heavy orange zigzag line running diagonally from the upper left to the lower right through groups 13–16 in Figure 1.24 "The Periodic Table Showing the Elements in Order of Increasing " divides the elements into metals Any element to the left of the zigzag line in the periodic table that runs from boron to astatine. A more comprehensive description of the periodic table is found in Chapter 7 "The Periodic Table and Periodic Trends". The two rows of 14 elements at the bottom of the periodic table are the lanthanides and the actinides, whose positions in the periodic table are indicated in group 3. All of the transition elements are metals., listed as B in older tables. Groups 3–12 are in the middle of the periodic table and are the transition elements Any element in groups 3–12 in the periodic table. These groups contain metals, semimetals, and nonmetals., listed as A in older tables. Groups 1, 2, and 13–18 are the main group elements Any element in groups 1, 2, and 13–18 in the periodic table. Elements with similar chemical properties reside in the same group., numbered from 1 to 18 (older periodic tables use a system based on roman numerals). The elements are stacked in such a way that elements with similar chemical properties form vertical columns, called groups A vertical column of elements in the periodic table. The rows are called periods A row of elements in the periodic table., and they are numbered from 1 to 7.

The elements are arranged in seven horizontal rows, in order of increasing atomic number from left to right and top to bottom. It summarizes huge amounts of information about the elements in a way that permits you to predict many of their properties and chemical reactions. The elements are arranged in a periodic table ( Figure 1.24 "The Periodic Table Showing the Elements in Order of Increasing " also see Chapter 32 "Appendix H: Periodic Table of Elements"), which is probably the single most important learning aid in chemistry. To become familiar with the organization of the periodic table.
