Any measurable property whose value describes a condition of a physical system is referred to as a physical property. A system’s physical properties can be utilised to characterise its transitions between brief states.
Observables are a term used to describe physical qualities.
Physical Properties of Metals
● Hard and have a high tensile strength – Carbon is the only non metal with very high tensile strength.
● Solid at room temperature – One non-metal, bromine, is a liquid at room temperature. The other non-metals are solids at room temperature, including carbon and sulfur.
● Sonorous – Metals produce a typical ringing sound when hit by something.
● Good conductors of heat and electricity – Graphite is good conductor of heat and electricity.
● Malleable, i.e., can be beaten into thin sheets
● Ductile, i.e., can be drawn into thin wires
● High melting and boiling points (except Caesium (Cs) and Gallium (Ga)) – Graphite, a form of carbon (a non-metal), has a high boiling point and exists in the solid state at room temperature.
● Dense, (except alkali metals). Osmium – highest density and lithium – least density
● Lustrous – Metals have the quality of reflecting light from their surface and can be polished e.g., gold, silver and copper. Iodine and carbon are non-metals which are lustrous. Note that carbon is lustrous only in certain forms like diamond , and graphite.
● Silver-grey in colour, (except gold and copper) – Metals usually have a silver or grey colour.