Metal Facts

Molten gold is poured into moulds at a smelting plant. When the bullion cools, it forms bars that are 99.99% pure. These are stored in strong vaults.
Mercury, sometimes known as quicksilver, expands by a relatively large amount when warmed, and so is widely used to measure temperature.
75% of all known elements are metals.
Most metals ring when hit. A typical metal is hard but malleable, which means it can be hammered into thin sheets.
Metals are usually shiny. They conduct both heat and electricity very well.
Metals do not form separate molecules. Instead atoms of metal knit together with metallic bonds (see chemical bonds) to form lattice structures.
The electron shells of all metals are less than half-full. In a chemical reaction metals give up their electrons to a non-metal.
Most metals occur naturally in the ground only in rocks called ores.
Gold, copper, mercury, platinum, silver and a few other rare metals occur naturally in their pure form.
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at normal temperatures. It melts at –38.87°C.
A few atoms of the new metal ununquadium (atomic number 114) were made in January 1999.

This entry is filed under Interesting Facts.