Physical Properties of Metals: Melting Point, Solubility, and Conductivity

In summary, metals have a high melting point, are insoluble in water, and conduct electricity. Some metals have low melting points, while ionic compounds have high melting points.
  • #1
topsyturvy
22
0
does metals has the following?

Qns. high melting point, insoluble in water, conduct electricity in solid and liquid.

may i know what's the physical properties of covalent compound?

do they have low melting point?

does ionic compound has high melting point ?

can somebody correct me? thanks lotsa. :smile:
 
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  • #2
topsyturvy said:
does metals has the following?
Qns. high melting point
What does "Qns." stand for?

Metals have a very broad range of melting points. Some metals are liquid at or near room temperature, other metals have very high melting points. Then one could even consider metal alloys (mixrtures of two or more metals) and change the melting points even further.

I cannot think of any example of a pure metal being soluble in water to any significant degree.
I would say metals are insoluble in water.

One property of metals is that they conduct electricity.


Covalent bonds (by comparison to ionic bonds) have lower melting points. Take the example of Carbon Dioxide (Carbon double covalently bonded to two Oxygen atoms), which has a much lower melting point than Sodium Chloride (NaCl).
Generally, ionic compounds have fairly high melting points where as covalently bonded molecules have lower melting points.
 
  • #3
mrjeffy321 said:
I cannot think of any example of a pure metal being soluble in water to any significant degree.
I would say metals are insoluble in water.

All metals either are insoluble in water or react with water (ie Na).
 
  • #4
Cesium said:
All metals either are insoluble in water or react with water (ie Na).

metal will react with water in some situation, that is corrosion. Its the ionic reaction between metal, water and air. but the reaction is so slow, may be years. Generally, metal can consider does not react with water.
 
  • #5
The example of the chemical reaction Cesium gave of Sodium (Na) metal reaction with water does not involve air and occurs quite quickly and spontaneously.
2Na + 2H2O --> 2NaOH + H2 + Heat
H2 + O2 + Heat --> Explosion

Placing an Alkali/Alkaline Earth metal (for example, Sodium, or even Cesium) in water produces quite a vigorous reaction to occur.
 
  • #6
mrjeffy321 said:
Placing an Alkali/Alkaline Earth metal (for example, Sodium, or even Cesium) in water produces quite a vigorous reaction to occur.
Most definitely! ---> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2134266654801392897&q=braniac !
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #7
Quite entertaining to say the least.

"But for some reason they wouldn’t let us have any of that [Francium]".
--And the fact that it has a half life of only about 22 minutes and there is only about 20-30 grams of it on Earth at anyone time has nothing to do with that right?
 

1. What is the melting point of metals?

The melting point of metals varies depending on the specific metal. Some metals, such as mercury, have low melting points at around -38°C, while others, like tungsten, have very high melting points at around 3,410°C.

2. How does the solubility of metals differ from other substances?

The solubility of metals differs from other substances in that they often have low solubility in water. This is because the strong metallic bonds between atoms make it difficult for water molecules to break them apart and dissolve the metal.

3. What is the relationship between the melting point and conductivity of metals?

In general, metals with higher melting points also have higher conductivity. This is because the strong metallic bonds that hold the atoms together also allow for easier movement of electrons, which are responsible for conductivity.

4. How are the physical properties of metals affected by impurities?

Impurities can have a significant impact on the physical properties of metals. For example, impurities can lower the melting point of a metal, decrease its solubility, and decrease its conductivity.

5. Can the physical properties of metals be altered?

Yes, the physical properties of metals can be altered through various methods such as alloying, heat treatment, and mechanical processing. These methods can change the structure and composition of the metal, resulting in different physical properties.

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