25 Different Types Of Metals and their Uses in daily life

Metals are natural compounds of earth’s crust, in which they are generally found in the form of metal ores, associated both with each other and with many other elements.

They are also naturally present in the rocks washed by surface water and groundwater and in atmospheric dust.

Here, we will take a look at the 25 most common types of metal and some of the ways they are used in various industries.

What Is Metal?

Metals are substances that form naturally below the surface of the Earth. Most metals are lustrous or shiny. Metals are inorganic, which means they are made of substances that were never alive.

Metals are opaque, lustrous elements that are good conductors of heat and electricity. Most metals are malleable and ductile and are, in general, denser than the other elemental substances.

Metal is very strong and durable and therefore is used to make many things. These are used for making automobiles, satellites, cooking utensils, etc.

Most metals are hard but some are not. Sodium and potassium are such metals that can be cut by knife whereas mercury is a liquid metal at room temperature. Iron is solid in nature.

Types of Metals

List of different types of Metals:

25 different types of metal

#1. IRON.

Iron comprises almost 5% of the Earth. Therefore, it is an easy metal to find. However, pure metal is not a stable element, as it immediately reacts with the oxygen present in the air, creating iron oxide.

Taking iron from its ores requires the use of a blast furnace. The first stage of the blast furnace will yield pig iron, which can be refined further to obtain pure iron.

This iron usually ends up in steel and other alloys. This is why almost 90% of manufactured metals are ferrous in nature.

Iron is the most used and cheapest metal. There are three types: pig iron, cast iron, and wrought iron.

  • Pig iron: a crude form of iron, used as a raw material to produce various other ferrous metals, such as cast iron and steel.
  • Cast iron: created by melting pig iron with coke and limestone. Cast iron tends to be brittle and is notoriously difficult to weld. However, it is an ideal engineering material with a wide range of applications, particularly in the automotive industry. This is due to its relatively low melting point, castability, excellent machinability, and resistance to both deformation and wear.
  • Wrought iron: tough, ductile, and corrosion-resistant, wrought iron is a type of highly purified metal, with small amounts of silicate slag molded into the filaments. This means it is ideal for forging into products such as guard rails, gates, and garden furniture. However, mild steel (see below) has replaced wrought iron.

#2. STEEL.

Although pure iron is stronger than most metals, it is prone to corrosion. To keep corrosion away, you will need to spend a lot of energy and money. Iron is also extremely heavy due to its high density.

Thus, steel was made by adding carbon to iron to alleviate these weaknesses to some extent. This combination of carbon and iron forms carbon steel, which is stronger than iron. As a result, steel is commonly used as a building material.

There are three primary types of steel:

Carbon Steel: Carbon steel, the most basic of the three types, is usually made solely of carbon and iron. It can be further classified as low, medium, and high carbon steel depending on the percentage of carbon. The higher the carbon percentage, the stronger and more expensive the steel.

Alloy Steel: Alloyed steel is a blanket term for any steel altered with the addition of another element alongside carbon and iron. This makes the steel customizable for a project. The most common modifying elements are manganese, vanadium, nickel, tungsten, and chromium (which makes stainless steel)

Stainless Steel: Stainless steel is manufactured specifically to focus on corrosion resistance. The addition of chromium to the iron/carbon ratio creates a small barrier across the surface area of the metal as it corrodes, which protects the steel itself. Stainless steel is used in many high-contact appliances and tools, including surgical instruments and cutlery.

More Resources: What is Stainless Steel?

#3. ALUMINUM.

Aluminum is derived primarily from bauxite, its ore. It is strong, light, and functional, and is the Earth’s most widespread metal.

This is due to its properties, including being lightweight, durable, electrically conductive, corrosion resistant, and has a high strength-to-weight ratio, making it ideal for use in aircraft and automobiles.

It can create alloys with almost all types of metals. Aluminum is easy to machine and does not magnetize.

#4. MAGNESIUM.

Magnesium is a really cool metal. It’s about 2/3rds the weight of aluminum, and it has comparable strength. It’s becoming more and more common because of this.

Most commonly, you’ll see this as an alloy. That means that it’s mixed with other metals and elements to make a hybrid material with specific properties. This can also make it easier to use for manufacturing processes.

One of the most popular applications of magnesium is in the automotive industry. Magnesium is considered a step up from aluminum when it comes to high-strength weight reduction, and it’s not astronomically more expensive.

Some places where you’ll see magnesium on a performance car are in the wheel rims, engine blocks, and transmission cases. There are disadvantages to magnesium, though. Compared to aluminum, it will corrode more easily. For example, it will corrode when in contact with water, whereas aluminum will not.

Overall, it’s about double the price of aluminum, but it’s generally faster to deal with in manufacturing. Magnesium is flammable, and it burns super-hot. Metal chips, filings, and powder need to be carefully disposed of to prevent explosions.

#5. COPPER.

It is impossible to overlook copper when discussing different types of metals. Copper is easy to form, which is why it has a long history and the applications it has today are the biggest instances of how important it is.

Because copper does not come from nature in a pure form, smelting and extracting it from its ore is crucial.

Metals are good conductors but copper stands out as the best. You will find copper conductor wires in electrical circuits due to its extraordinary electrical conductivity.

The only metal that can beat copper’s conductivity is silver. This may be why most cooking utensils are made from copper.

#6. BRASS.

Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper. The amount of each metal may vary because of the mechanical and electrical properties that are sought from the metal. It consists of trace amounts of several metallic elements, such as manganese, lead, and aluminum.

Brass serves as an excellent candidate for low friction use, such as in bearings, locks, musical instruments, tools and fittings, and plumbing.

Brass is indispensable in inherently safe applications to allow usage and prevent sparks in inflammable surroundings.

#7. BRONZE.

Bronze is also an alloy of copper. But instead of zinc, bronze contains tin. Adding other elements such as phosphorus, manganese, silicon, and aluminum may improve its properties and suitability for a particular application.

Bronze is brittle, hard, and resists fatigue well. It also has good electrical and thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Bronze finds application in the manufacturing of mirrors and reflectors. It is used for electrical connectors. Due to its corrosion resistance, it finds usage in submerged parts and ship fittings.

Bronze has massive historical significance (like in the Bronze Age) and is easy to pick out. One commonplace to see it is in massive church bells.

Bronze is tough and strong, so it doesn’t crack or bend like other metals when it’s being rung. It also sounds better.

Modern uses include sculptures and art, springs, and bearings, as well as guitar strings. Bronze was the first man-made alloy.

#8. ZINC.

Zinc is the third most widely used non-ferrous metal after aluminum and copper. The average person consumes a total of 331 kilograms of zinc in their lifetime. Zinc has a very low melting point, so it is also an ideal pouring material.

Zinc castings are very common in our daily life: the materials below the surface layer of door handles, faucets, electronic components, etc., zinc has a very high corrosion resistance, which makes it have another most basic function, that is, as a surface coating material for steel.

In addition to these functions, zinc is also an alloy material with copper to synthesize brass.

Zinc has excellent castability, excellent corrosion resistance, high strength, high hardness, cheap raw materials, low melting point, creep resistance, easy to form alloys with other metals, health care, fragile at room temperature, and ductility around 100 degrees Celsius.

#9. TITANIUM.

Titanium is a crucial engineering metal because it is a lightweight and strong metal with a silvery-white color.

It is corrosion-resistant and has a high melting point. The main characteristics of titanium are low density, high mechanical strength, and easy processing.

Titanium is often used in aircraft and spacecraft because of its properties. Titanium has a metallic luster and is malleable.

It is also used in military equipment, and because it is corrosion-resistant, it is also used for medical purposes. You will also find titanium in sporting goods and the chemical industry.

#10. TUNGSTEN.

Tungsten has the highest melting point and the highest tensile strength of any of the pure metals. This makes it extremely useful.

About half of all tungsten is used to make tungsten carbide. This is an insanely hard material that’s used for cutting tools (for mining and metalworking), abrasives, and heavy equipment. It can easily cut titanium and high-temperature superalloys.

It gets its name from the Swedish word “tungsten“, which means “heavy stone”. It’s about 1.7 times the density of lead. Tungsten is also a popular alloying element.

Since its melting point is so high, it’s often alloyed with other elements to make things like rocket nozzles that have to be able to handle extreme temperatures.

#11. NICKEL.

Nickel is a really common element that’s used all over. Its most common application is in making stainless steel, where it boosts the metal’s strength and corrosion resistance. Almost 70% of the world’s nickel is used to make stainless steel.

Interestingly, nickel only makes up 25% of the composition of the five-cent American coin. Nickel is also a common metal used for plating and alloying. It can be used to coat lab and chemistry equipment, as well as anything that needs to have a smooth, polished surface.

Nickel gets its name from medieval-era German folklore. Nickel ore looks a lot like copper ore, but when the old miners couldn’t get copper from it, they blamed a mischievous sprite named Nickel.

#12. COBALT.

Cobalt is a hard, silver-white metal. It is often used in alloys because it increases the strength and hardness of the metal. Cobalt is also used in making magnets and in electroplating.

Cobalt is a shiny steel-gray metal, relatively hard and brittle, similar to iron and nickel in hardness, tensile strength, mechanical properties, thermodynamic properties, and electrochemical behavior. The magnetism disappears when heated to 1150℃.

#13. TIN.

Tin is really soft and malleable. It’s used as an alloying element to make things like bronze (1/8th tin and 7/8ths copper). It’s also the primary ingredient in pewter (85-99%).

When you bend a bar of tin, you can hear something called a “tin cry”. This is a twanging sound of the crystal structure reorganizing itself (called twinning).

#14. LEAD.

Lead is really soft and malleable, and it’s also very dense and heavy. It’s got a really low melting point, too. Lead is a highly machinable, corrosion-resistant metal. Piping and paint represent some use-cases.

Lead was used as an anti-knocking agent in gasoline. Later, it was discovered that the byproduct of this lead was responsible for serious health complications.

Lead is still common in ammunition, car batteries, radiation protection, lifting weights, cable sheathing, etc.

In the 1800s it was discovered that lead is actually pretty toxic stuff. That’s why it’s not so common in modern times, although it wasn’t all that long ago that it was still found in things like paints and bullets.

Lead is a neurotoxin that can cause brain damage and behavioral problems, among other things.

That said, it still does have modern uses. For example, it’s great for radiation shielding. It’s also occasionally added to copper alloys to make them easier to cut. The copper-lead mix is often used to improve the performance of bearings.

#15. SILICON.

Technically speaking, silicon is a metalloid. This means that it has both metallic and non-metallic qualities. For example, it looks like metal.

It’s solid, shiny, bendable, and has a high melting point. However, it does a terrible job of conducting electricity. This is partly why it’s not considered a full metal.

Even still, it’s a common element to find in metals. Using it for alloying can change the metal’s properties quite a bit. For example, adding silicon to aluminum makes it easier to weld.

#16. CHROMIUM.

Chromium is a physically hard element after carbon and maybe a diamond. It is usually used as an alloy to improve the strength of other metals.

The metal has a high melting point which is approximately 2000 degrees Celcius. In terms of appearance, chromium has a unique reflection and can be used to improve the surface finishing of other metals.

#17. LITHIUM.

Lithium is categorized as a soft metal or a metal alkali group. It has a silvery-white luster that makes it look attractive. Lithium is used for improving the strength of glasses and ceramics.

#18. GOLD.

Gold is a precious metal that has been used for centuries to make jewelry, coins and other objects. It is rare, soft, malleable and does not corrode in the air.

Gold is a good conductor of electricity and heat. Gold is solid at room temperature, dense, soft, bright, corrosion resistant, and the most malleable metal.

#19. SILVER.

Silver is a precious metal that is similar to gold in many ways. It is rare, soft, malleable and does not corrode in the air. Silver is a good conductor of electricity and heat. However, it is not as good a conductor as gold.

#20. PLATINUM.

Platinum is a very heavy, precious, silver-white metal, platinum is soft and ductile and has a high melting point and good resistance to corrosion and chemical attack.

For example, its surface remains bright after being brought to white heat in air, and, though it readily dissolves in aqua regia, it is scarcely attacked by simple acids.

(It does dissolve slowly in hydrochloric acid in the presence of air.) Small amounts of iridium are commonly added to give a harder, stronger alloy that retains the advantages of pure platinum.

#21. Mercury.

Mercury is a the only metal that is found in liquid stat at normal room temperature. Mercury is the silvery white shining material that slowly tarnishes in moist air, and freezes into a soft solid like tin and lead at -38.83 °C and it boils at 356.62 °C

Mercury metal have many applications. Because of its high-density, mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, mercury relays, fluorescent lamps and other devices.

#22. Gunmetal.

Gunmetal, variety of bronze, formerly used for ordnance. Modern admiralty gunmetal is composed of 88 percent copper, 10 percent tin, and 2 percent zinc and is used for gears and bearings that are to be subjected to heavy loads and low speeds.

It withstands atmospheric, steam, and seawater corrosion and is suitable for valves, pump parts, and steam fittings.

Gunmetal casts and machines well, and is resistant to corrosion from steam and salt water. It is used to make steam and hydraulic castings, valves, gears, statues, and various small objects, such as buttons.

#23. Uranium.

Uranium is naturally occurring radioactive element. Uranium constitutes about two parts per million of Earth’s crust. Uranium is a dense, hard metallic element that is silvery white in colour.

It is ductile, malleable, and capable of taking a high polish. In air the metal tarnishes and when finely divided breaks into flames. It is a relatively poor conductor of electricity.

Uranium is now used to power commercial nuclear reactors that produce electricity and to produce isotopes used for medical, industrial, and defense purposes around the world.

The heat created by splitting the U-235 atoms is then used to make steam which spins a turbine to drive a generator, producing electricity.

#24. Gallium.

Gallium is a soft enough to be cut with a knife, silvery-white metal, similar to aluminium. Uses. Gallium arsenide has a similar structure to silicon and is a useful silicon substitute for the electronics industry. It is an important component of many semiconductors.

It takes on a bluish tinge because of superficial oxidation. Unusual for its low melting point (about 30 °C [86 °F]), gallium also expands upon solidification and supercool readily, remaining a liquid at temperatures as low as 0 °C (32 °F).

Gallium remains in the liquid phase over a temperature range of about 2,000 °C (about 3,600 °F), with a very low vapour pressure up to about 1,500 °C (about 2,700 °F), the longest useful liquid range of any element.

Gallium arsenide has a similar structure to silicon and is a useful silicon substitute for the electronics industry. It is an important component of many semiconductors.

It is also used in red LEDs (light emitting diodes) because of its ability to convert electricity to light. Solar panels on the Mars Exploration Rover contained gallium arsenide.

Gallium nitride is also a semiconductor. It has particular properties that make it very versatile. It has important uses in Blu-ray technology, mobile phones, blue and green LEDs and pressure sensors for touch switches.

Gallium readily alloys with most metals. It is particularly used in low-melting alloys.

It has a high boiling point, which makes it ideal for recording temperatures that would vaporise a thermometer.

#25. Bismuth.

Bismuth is hard, brittle, lustrous, and coarsely crystalline. It can be distinguished from all other metals by its colour—gray-white with a reddish tinge.’

Bismuth metal is brittle and so it is usually mixed with other metals to make it useful. Its alloys with tin or cadmium have low melting points and are used in fire detectors and extinguishers, electric fuses and solders.

Types of metal based on Periodic table

Metals generally have luster, are dense, are malleable and ductile, and are good conductors of heat and electricity. They may be different in other ways, but these characteristics group all the types of metals together.

#1. Alkali Metals.

Alkali metals are in group IA on the far left side of the periodic table. They are highly reactive elements, distinctive because of their +1 oxidation state and generally low density compared to other metals.

The alkali metals are all shiny, soft, highly reactive metals at standard temperature and pressure and readily lose their outermost electron to form cations with charge +1.

They can all be cut easily with a knife due to their softness, exposing a shiny surface that tarnishes rapidly in air due to oxidation by atmospheric moisture and oxygen (and in the case of lithium, nitrogen).

Because of their high reactivity, they must be stored under oil to prevent reaction with air, and are found naturally only in salts and never as the free elements.

Caesium, the fifth alkali metal, is the most reactive of all the metals. All the alkali metals react with water, with the heavier alkali metals reacting more vigorously than the lighter ones.

Because they are so reactive, these elements are found in compounds. Only hydrogen is found free in nature as a pure element, and that is as diatomic hydrogen gas.

  • Hydrogen in its metallic state (usually considered a nonmetal)​
  • Lithium
  • Sodium
  • Potassium
  • Rubidium
  • Cesium
  • Francium

#2. Alkaline Earth Metals.

The alkaline earth metals are found in group IIA of the periodic table, which is the second column of elements. All of the alkaline earth metal atoms have a +2-oxidation state.

Like the alkali metals, these elements are found in compounds rather than pure form. Alkaline earths are reactive but less so than alkali metals. Group IIA metals are hard and shiny and usually malleable and ductile.

  • Beryllium
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium
  • Strontium
  • Barium
  • Radium

#3. Transition Metals.

The transition metals are characterized by having partially filled d or f electron subshells. Since the shell is incompletely filled, these elements display multiple oxidation states and often produce colored complexes.

Some transition metals occur in pure or native form, including gold, copper, and silver. The lanthanides and actinides are found only in compounds in nature.

  • Scandium
  • Titanium
  • Vanadium
  • Chromium
  • Manganese
  • Iron
  • Cobalt
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cadmium
  • Rutherfordium
  • Dubnium
  • Seaborgium
  • Bohrium
  • Hassium
  • Meitnerium
  • Darmstadtium
  • Lutetium
  • Thorium
  • Protactinium
  • Uranium
  • Neptunium
  • Nobelium
  • Zinc
  • Yttrium
  • Zirconium
  • Niobium
  • Molybdenum
  • Technetium
  • Ruthenium
  • Rhodium
  • Palladium
  • Silver
  • Roentgenium
  • Copernicium
  • Cerium
  • Praseodymium
  • Neodymium
  • Promethium
  • Samarium
  • Europium
  • Plutonium
  • Americium
  • Curium
  • Berkelium
  • Lawrencium
  • Lanthanum
  • Hafnium
  • Tantalum
  • Tungsten
  • Rhenium
  • Osmium
  • Iridium
  • Platinum
  • Gold
  • Mercury
  • Actinium
  • Gadolinium
  • Terbium
  • Dysprosium
  • Holmium
  • Erbium
  • Thulium
  • Ytterbium
  • Californium
  • Einsteinium
  • Fermium
  • Mendelevium

#4. Rare Earth Metals.

The rare earth metals are typically found in their own table below the main Periodic Table. However, they actually fit into the middle of the Periodic Table. There are two types of rare earth metals: lanthanides and actinides.

Lanthanide Metals

There are 15 lanthanides listed on the Periodic Table. All of these elements are so similar, it is very difficult to differentiate them.

  • Cerium
  • Promethium
  • Gadolinium
  • Dysprosium
  • Lutetium

Actinide Metals

There are 15 actinides listed on the Periodic Table. Most of these do not occur in nature because they are so unstable but are produced in nuclear reactors and particle accelerators.

  • Thorium
  • Uranium
  • Plutonium
  • Californium
  • Mendelevium

#5. Basic Metals.

The basic metals display the characteristics people generally associate with the term “metal.” They conduct heat and electricity, have a metallic luster, and tend to be dense, malleable, and ductile.

However, some of these elements display nonmetallic characteristics. For example, one allotrope of tin behaves more as a nonmetal.

While most metals are hard, lead and gallium are examples of elements that are soft. These elements tend to have lower melting and boiling points than the transition metals (with some exceptions).

  • Aluminum
  • Gallium
  • Indium
  • Tin
  • Thallium
  • Lead
  • Bismuth
  • Nihonium: probably a basic metal
  • Flerovium: probably a basic metal
  • Moscovium: probably a basic metal
  • Livermorium: probably a basic metal
  • Tennessine: in the halogen group but may behave more like a metalloid or metal

#6. Metalloids.

Metalloids can be defined as chemical elements whose physical and chemical properties fall in between the metal and non-metal categories.

It can be noted that all seven of these elements can be found on the regular periodic table in a diagonal region of the p-block which extends from boron (which is placed on the upper left) to astatine (which is placed on the lower right).

Some periodic tables have a dividing line between metals and nonmetals, and below this line, the metalloids can be found.

  • Boron
  • Germanium
  • Silicon
  • Antimony
  • Arsenic
  • Tellurium
  • Pollanium

Classification of Metals

When we use iron content as our guide, metals are divided into three categories: ferrous, non-ferrous and metal alloy.

Ferrous metal

Almost 90% of manufactured metals are ferrous metals – steel, for instance. Ferrous metals refer to any metal that contains iron.

The word ‘ferrous’ comes from the Latin word ‘ferrum,’ which means ‘iron.’ Ferrous metals include steel, cast iron, as well as alloys of iron with other metals (such as stainless steel). Characteristics include:

Ferrous metals, such as cast and wrought iron or carbon steel, are known for their tensile strength and durability.

As a result, they are widely used in the construction industry providing the structure for bridges and skyscrapers.

Ferrous metals are also found in shipping containers, pipework, automobiles, railways and a range of both commercial and domestic tools.

The high carbon content of most ferrous metals means that they are vulnerable to rust. Wrought iron is an exception to this as its purity gives it a resistance to corrosion.

Alloying elements will make a steel more resistant to rusting when exposed to moisture. For example adding chromium to create stainless steel.

Ferrous metals have been in use for thousands of years and have a huge range of different applications, from the largest structures to the smallest nuts and bolts. Since most ferrous metals are magnetic, they are often used in electrical and motor applications.

Non-ferrous metal

Non-ferrous metals are alloys or metals containing zero (or very little) iron. They tend to be more expensive than ferrous metals due to their lighter weight. Other attributes include:

  • Non-magnetic properties
  • Easy to fabricate (including machinability, casting and welding)
  • High resistance to corrosion
  • Good thermal and electrical conductivity
  • Low density
  • Non-magnetic
  • Colour range

Non-ferrous metals are usually obtained from minerals like carbonates, silicates and sulphides before being refined through electrolysis.

They include aluminium, copper, lead, nickel, tin, titanium and zinc, as well as copper alloys like brass and bronze.

Other rare, or precious, non-ferrous metals include gold, silver, platinum, cobalt, mercury, tungsten, lithium and zirconium.

Non-ferrous metals are used for a wide range of commercial, industrial and residential applications. Some, such as aluminium or titanium alloys, can replace steel.

However, they are often more expensive and are better employed for their specific attributes.

Being softer and more malleable, non-ferrous metals such as gold and silver can be used in more aesthetic settings.

Metal alloys

Metal alloys are a combination of more than one element including another metal. For example, brass is an alloy of two metals, copper and zinc.

Steel is an alloy of a metallic element (iron) and around 2% of a non-metallic element (carbon).

Alloying a metal is a means of enhancing a specific property. Each substance within the alloy contributes something different to the mix, creating a unique product that is harder, more durable, more resistant to corrosion or has increased load-bearing capabilities.

Consequently, they are in high demand in a variety of applications and industries such as manufacturing, electronics, domestic goods, architecture, plumbing, and the automotive and aerospace industries.

Physical Properties of Metals

Some of the main physical properties of metals are given below.

  • Metal can be hammered into thin sheets. It means they possess the property of malleability. 
  • Metals are ductile. They can be drawn into wires. 
  • Metals are a good conductor of heat and electricity. 
  • Metals are lustrous which means they have a shiny appearance.  
  • Metals have high tensile strength. It means they can hold heavyweights. 
  • Metals are sonorous. It means when we strike them, they make a ringing sound. 
  • Metals are hard. It means they cannot be cut easily.

Chemical properties of Metals

  • Reaction with water: Only highly reactive metals react with water and not all the metals. For example, Sodium reacts vigorously with water and oxygen and gives a large amount of heat in the process. This is why sodium is stored in kerosene so that it does not come in contact with moisture or oxygen.
  • Reaction with acids: Hydrogen gas is produced when metals react with acids. For example, when zinc reacts with hydrochloric acid it produces zinc chloride and hydrogen gas.
  • Reaction with bases: Not all the metals react with bases and when they do react, they produce metal salts and hydrogen gas. When zinc reacts with strong sodium hydroxide it gives sodium zincate and hydrogen gas.
  • Reaction with oxygen: Metal oxides are produced when metals burn in the presence of oxygen. These metal oxides are basic in nature. For example: When a magnesium strip is burned in the presence of oxygen it forms magnesium oxide and when magnesium oxide dissolves in water it forms magnesium hydroxide.

Uses of Metals

Metals are used in:

  • Transportation — Cars, buses, trucks, trains, ships, and airplanes.
  • Aerospace — Unmanned and manned rockets and the space shuttle.
  • Computers and other electronic devices that require conductors (TV, radio, stereo, calculators, security devices, etc.)
  • Communications including satellites that depend on a tough but light metal shell.
  • Food processing and preservation — Microwave and conventional ovens and refrigerators and freezers.
  • Construction — Nails in conventional lumber construction and structural steel inother buildings.
  • Biomedical applications — As artificial replacement for joints and other prostheses.
  • Electrical power production and distribution — Boilers, turbines, generators, transformers, power lines, nuclear reactors, oil wells, and pipelines.
  • Farming — Tractors, combines, planters, etc.
  • Household conveniences — Ovens, dish and clothes washers, vacuum cleaners, blenders, pumps, lawnmowers and trimmers, plumbing, water heaters, heating/cooling, etc.

List of Metals (Examples of Metals)

This is a list of metals in order of increasing atomic number.

S.NoAtomic NumberSymbolMetal Elements
13LiLithium
24BeBeryllium
311NaSodium
412MgMagnesium
513AlAluminum
619KPotassium
720CaCalcium
821ScScandium
922TiTitanium
1023VVanadium
1124CrChromium
1225MnManganese
1326FeIron
1427CoCobalt
1528NiNickel
1629CuCopper
1730ZnZinc
1831GaGallium
1937RbRubidium
2038SrStrontium
2139YYttrium
2240ZrZirconium
2341NbNiobium
2442MoMolybdenum
2543TcTechnetium
2644RuRuthenium
2745RhRhodium
2846PdPalladium
2947AgSilver
3048CdCadmium
3149InIndium
3250SnTin
3355CsCesium
3456BaBarium
3557LaLanthanum
3658CeCerium
3759PrPraseodymium
3860NdNeodymium
3961PmPromethium
4062SmSamarium
4163EuEuropium
4264GdGadolinium
4365TbTerbium
4466DyDysprosium
4567HoHolmium
4668ErErbium
4769TmThulium
4870YbYtterbium
4971LuLutetium
5072HfHafnium
5173TaTantalum
5274WTungsten
5375ReRhenium
5476OsOsmium
5577IrIridium
5678PtPlatinum
5779AuGold
5880HgMercury
5981TlThallium
6082PbLead
6183BiBismuth
6284PoPolonium
6387FrFrancium
6488RaRadium
6589AcActinium
6690ThThorium
6791PaProtactinium
6892UUranium
6993NpNeptunium
7094PuPlutonium
7195AmAmericium
7296CmCurium
7397BkBerkelium
7498CfCalifornium
7599EsEinsteinium
76100FmFermium
77101MdMendelevium
78102NoNobelium
79103LrLawrencium
80104RfRutherfordium
81105DbDubnium
82106SgSeaborgium
83107BhBohrium
84108HsHassium
85109MtMeitnerium
86110DsDarmstadtium
87111RgRoentgenium
88112CnCopernicium
89113NhNihonium
90114FlFlerovium
91115McMoscovium
92116LvLivermorium

FAQs.

What is Metal?

A metal is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typically malleable or ductile. Metal may be a chemical element such as iron; an alloy such as stainless steel; or a molecular compound such as polymeric sulfur nitride.

What are the Types of Metal?

Metals can be divided into two main groups: ferrous metals are those which contain iron and non-ferrous metals are those which contain no iron.
1. Iron. Iron comprises almost 5% of the Earth.
2. Steel. Although pure iron is stronger than most metals, it is prone to corrosion.
3. Copper.
4. Bronze.
5. Brass.
6. Aluminium.
7. Titanium.
8. Lead.

What are the 10 examples of metals?

Examples of metals are aluminum, copper, iron, tin, gold, lead, silver, titanium, uranium, and zinc. Well-known alloys include bronze and steel. The study of metals is called metallurgy

What are the properties of metals?

Properties of Metals:
1. Metals can be hammered into thin sheets. It means they possess the property of malleability.
2. Metals are ductile.
3. Metals are good conductor of heat and electricity.
4. Metals are lustrous which means they have a shiny appearance.
5. Metals have high tensile strength.
6. Metals are sonorous.
7. Metals are hard.

How many types of metals exist?

According to the Royal Society of Chemistry, there are 94 metals on the periodic table, and each can be classified differently. However, the most common classification is by iron content.