Physical and Chemical Properties of Metals and Non-metals Revision Notes | GCSE Edexcel Higher Chemistry
Metals typically conduct electricity and heat, are malleable and ductile, have a shiny metallic lustre and high density. Free GCSE Chemistry notes.
Updated 22 Mar 2026 · Revise Right Team
Physical and Chemical Properties of Metals and Non-metals is part of The periodic table in GCSE Edexcel Higher Chemistry.
4 min
Reading time
57
Lessons in this topic
GCSE Edexcel Higher
Pathway
Reviewed by Revise Right
Content review
What this lesson covers
Metals typically conduct electricity and heat, are malleable and ductile, have a shiny metallic lustre and high density. Free GCSE Chemistry notes.
Explain the differences between metals and non-metals based on their physical and chemical properties
Compare the characteristic properties of metals and non-metals using specific examples
Relate the position of elements in the periodic table to their metallic or non-metallic nature
Predict properties of unknown elements based on their position in the periodic table
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Use this lesson to stay inside The periodic table while connecting the detail back to the wider Topic 1: Key concepts in chemistry topic.
Topic 1: Key concepts in chemistry
The periodic table
GCSE Edexcel Higher Chemistry
Revision notes
Read the core explanations from Physical and Chemical Properties of Metals and Non-metals before testing yourself from memory.
1. The Great Divide: Metals vs Non-metals
Look around you right now. The copper wires in your phone charger, the aluminium in your drink can, the carbon in your pencil lead. These materials behave completely differently - but why?
The periodic table isn't just a random arrangement of elements. It reveals a fundamental split in nature: metals and non-metals. This division explains why some materials conduct electricity while others don't, why some bend while others shatter, and why some react violently with water while others ignore it completely.
Here's the key insight: these aren't just random properties. They all stem from how the atoms are bonded together at the microscopic level.
2. Physical Properties: What You Can See and Feel
Physical properties are characteristics you can observe without changing the chemical identity of the substance. Think of them as the 'personality traits' of elements.
Metals typically show: High electrical conductivity (copper wires), high thermal conductivity (aluminium saucepans), malleability (gold leaf), ductility (steel wire), metallic lustre (polished silver), and high density (lead weights).
Non-metals typically show: Poor electrical conductivity (plastic insulators), poor thermal conductivity (wooden handles), brittleness when solid (snapping a pencil), dull appearance (sulfur powder), and lower density (helium balloons float).
But here's where students often get confused - these are typical properties, not absolute rules. Let's test your understanding:
3. Chemical Properties: How Elements React
Chemical properties describe how elements behave during chemical reactions. This is where the metal-non-metal divide becomes really clear.
Metals tend to: Lose electrons to form positive ions (cations), react with acids to produce hydrogen gas, form basic oxides that neutralise acids, and show varying reactivity (potassium explodes in water, gold is very unreactive and does not react with most common substances including water and dilute acids).
Non-metals tend to: Gain electrons to form negative ions (anions), form acidic oxides that neutralise bases, and often exist as molecules rather than single atoms.
Worked example: Predicting Oxide Properties
Magnesium burns in air to form magnesium oxide (MgO). Sulfur burns in air to form sulfur dioxide (SO₂). Predict whether each oxide is acidic or basic, and explain your reasoning.
Magnesium = metal (Group 2)
Sulfur = non-metal (Group 6) — Position in periodic table tells us this
Metal oxides are basic
Non-metal oxides are acidic — This is a key pattern to remember
MgO will be basic
SO₂ will be acidic — Follows the metal/non-metal pattern
Answer: MgO is basic (metal oxide), SO₂ is acidic (non-metal oxide)
This pattern is so reliable that chemists use it to predict the properties of unfamiliar compounds. But why does this pattern exist?
4. The Periodic Table Map: Where to Find Metals and Non-metals
The periodic table isn't just organised by atomic number - it's a map showing the transition from metallic to non-metallic behaviour.
Metals dominate the left and bottom: Groups 1 and 2 are highly reactive metals. Transition metals fill the middle block. Even some elements in Groups 3 and 4 show metallic properties.
Non-metals cluster at the top right: Groups 6, 7, and 0 are entirely non-metallic. Group 5 contains both metals and non-metals. The noble gases (Group 0) are all non-metals but barely react with anything.
There's even a 'staircase' line separating metals from non-metals, with some elements (like silicon) showing properties of both - we call these metalloids or semi-metals.
5. Atomic Structure: The Root Cause
All these differences trace back to one fundamental factor: how easily atoms give up or hold onto their outer electrons.
Metal atoms have few electrons in their outer shell (usually 1-3). These outer electrons are far from the nucleus and weakly held. They're easily lost, leaving behind positive ions.
Non-metal atoms have many electrons in their outer shell (usually 5-8). These electrons are closer to the nucleus and more strongly held. Non-metals prefer to gain electrons to complete their outer shell.
This 'electron sea' model explains everything: why metals conduct electricity (mobile electrons), why they're malleable (layers can slide past each other without breaking bonds), and why they have lustre (electrons can absorb and re-emit light).
6. Exam Success: Getting Full Marks
Exam questions on this topic often test your ability to predict properties from position in the periodic table, or explain observations using particle theory.
The key to mastering this topic is seeing the connections. Physical properties, chemical properties, position in the periodic table, and atomic structure all tell the same story - it is told in different languages.
The position of an element in the periodic table links directly to its electron arrangement. Group number tells you the number of outer electrons, and period number tells you the number of occupied shells. This helps explain why metals are found mainly on the left and lower part of the table, while non-metals are found on the right and towards the top.
Sources and content standards
Published by Revise Right. Use the official specification reference to check the requirements for your course. Content updated: 2026-03-22.
Metals typically conduct electricity and heat, are malleable and ductile, have a shiny metallic lustre and high density. Chemically, they lose electrons to form positive ions, react with acids to produce hydrogen gas and form basic oxides.
What does malleable mean?
Malleable means a material can be hammered into sheets without breaking, like gold leaf. Metals are malleable because layers of ions can slide past each other without breaking bonds.
What are the properties of metals and non-metals?
Metals typically conduct electricity and heat, are malleable and ductile, have a shiny metallic lustre and are often dense. Non-metals typically do not conduct electricity or heat, are brittle when solid and have a dull appearance.
What does ductile mean?
Ductile means a material can be drawn into wires, like steel wire. Ductility is one of the typical physical properties of metals.
What is a metalloid?
A metalloid, or semi-metal, is an element near the staircase line between metals and non-metals that shows properties of both. Silicon is an example.
Where are metals and non-metals on the periodic table?
Metals are found on the left and bottom of the periodic table, including Groups 1 and 2 and the transition metals, while non-metals cluster at the top right. A staircase line separates them, with metalloids such as silicon showing properties of both.
Are metal oxides acidic or basic?
Metal oxides are basic and non-metal oxides are acidic. Magnesium oxide (MgO) forms an alkaline solution in water, turning litmus blue, while sulfur dioxide (SO₂) forms an acidic solution, turning litmus red.
What happens when metals react with acids?
Metals react with acids to produce hydrogen gas. Reactivity varies widely: potassium explodes in water, while gold is very unreactive and does not react with water or dilute acids.
What are the chemical properties of metals?
Metals tend to lose electrons to form positive ions, react with acids to produce hydrogen gas and form basic oxides that neutralise acids. Their reactivity varies: potassium explodes in water, while gold does not react with water or dilute acids.
Why are metals shiny?
Metals are shiny because their delocalised electrons can absorb and re-emit light, giving a metallic lustre when freshly cut. The electron sea model also explains why metals conduct electricity and are malleable.
Why do metals form positive ions?
Metals form positive ions because their atoms have few electrons in their outer shell, usually 1-3, which are far from the nucleus and weakly held. These outer electrons are easily lost, leaving behind positive ions.
Why is gold so unreactive?
Gold is very unreactive and does not react with most common substances, including water and dilute acids. Metals show varying reactivity, from potassium, which explodes in water, to gold.
Are non-metals brittle?
Non-metals are typically brittle when solid, meaning they break rather than bend, like a snapping pencil. They also tend to be dull, with poor electrical and thermal conductivity.
How do the properties of non-metals and metals compare?
Metals conduct electricity and heat, are malleable and shiny, and form positive ions and basic oxides. Non-metals have poor electrical and thermal conductivity, are brittle when solid and dull, and they gain electrons to form negative ions and acidic oxides.
What do group number and period number tell you?
The group number gives the number of outer electrons, and the period number gives the number of occupied shells. This electron arrangement explains why metals are found on the left and lower part of the table and non-metals on the right.