What are metals?
It’s time to study metals. You might not think so, but metals are really cool! They’re a lot more fun than you think.
Metals are elements and elements are the building blocks for all the matter in the world. There are so many different types of elements that there's a special table to show just how many types there are. It’s called the periodic table of elements.
Most of the elements on the periodic table are metals. Isn’t that crazy? That means metals are the building blocks of most things around you.
Most metals are solid, they conduct electricity and heat, are strong, shiny, and are easy to shape and melt at high temperatures. Metals are also found inside rocks. Rocks that contain metal are called ores.
Here are some metals and their symbols:
- Copper - CU
- Gold - AU
- Iron - Fe
- Magnesium - Mg
- Nickel - Ni
- Silver - Ag
- Titanium - Ti
- Uranium - U
- Zinc - Zn
