Metals make up the majority of our chemical elements: they dominate the periodic table of elements (PSE) and occupy more than three quarters of all fields, including the semi-metals. The latter optically separate the metals in a diagonal line from the non-metals, which are located in the upper right-hand area, with a smooth transition.
All metals have basic properties: good conductivity and malleability, shiny surfaces and the fact that they are in a solid state at room temperature, i.e. a high melting and boiling temperature. The property of magnetism, on the other hand, does not apply to all metals and is also temperature-dependent.
Metals are categorised into heavy and light metals according to their density and their ability to enter into chemical reactions with other substances (reactivity).
The arrangement in the PSE distinguishes between alkali metals (also: light metals), alkaline earth metals, transition metals, metals and finally semi-metals in the main and secondary groups, whereby the elements of a group each have similar chemical properties.
In the case of intermetallic compounds of two or more metals, the lattice structure of the underlying base material is lost and the newly formed homogeneous compound usually exhibits high hardness and chemical resistance.
Alloys with non-metals are also colloquially referred to as metals. The original elemental properties of the pure metal are improved by the deliberate addition of substances: for example, carbon in iron makes the steel stronger, while the elements nickel and chromium reduce the reaction of iron with oxygen and thus prevent harmful corrosion.
