---
title: "Metals vs Non-Metals"
description: "Compare the physical and chemical properties of metals and non-metals, explaining metallic properties (malleability, lustre, conductivity) and how position in the periodic table predicts reactivity"
canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/metals-vs-non-metals-mt_Sc_SorJhXW
source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/metals-vs-non-metals-mt_Sc_SorJhXW.md
retrieved: 2026-10-19
---

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# Metals vs Non-Metals

Compare the physical and chemical properties of metals and non-metals, explaining metallic properties (malleability, lustre, conductivity) and how position in the periodic table predicts reactivity

Subject: Science · Area: Matter & Materials · Ages 11 to 13
Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/metals-vs-non-metals-mt_Sc_SorJhXW

## Ready when they can

- Lists physical properties typical of metals (shiny, malleable, good conductor) and non-metals
- Explains why metals are used in wires, cookware, and construction based on their properties
- Uses the periodic table to predict whether an element is likely to be reactive or unreactive
- Explains what lustre and malleability mean in terms of real-world observations

## Lesson: Metals vs Non-Metals

Look at a substance. Is it shiny and bendy, or dull and easy to snap? That tells you if it is a metal or a non-metal. Metals are usually shiny (this shine is called lustre), malleable (they bend into new shapes without breaking), and good conductors of heat and electricity. Non-metals are often dull, brittle (they crack instead of bending), and poor conductors, though there are exceptions.

*(drawing: Electricity flows through metals far more easily than through most non-metals.)*

**Example.** A copper wire bends around a corner and still carries electricity to a lamp. An aluminium pot spreads heat evenly across its base. A steel beam holds up a building without snapping. Each job picks a metal because of its malleability and conductivity.

**Tip.** Check the periodic table to guess reactivity. Metals near the bottom left, like sodium and potassium, react fast and can even fizz in water. Non-metals near the top right react fast too, except the noble gases in the very last column, which barely react with anything.

**Recap.** Shiny, bendy, and a good conductor points to a metal; dull, brittle, and a poor conductor points to a non-metal, and the periodic table hints at how reactive each one will be.

## Practice

8 questions on this page, each with its working shown.

## Needs first

- [The Periodic Table](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-periodic-table-mt_wfEfQuHOG-)

## Opens up

- [Ionic Bonding: Electron Transfer and Charged Lattices](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/ionic-bonding-electron-transfer-and-charged-lattices-mt_sf24C4YLtN)
- [Types of Chemical Reaction](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/types-of-chemical-reaction-mt_v0K6GRi4ZL)
- [Ceramics, Polymers & Composites](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/ceramics-polymers-and-composites-mt_w83U-_noVR)
- [Metallic Bonding and Alloys](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/metallic-bonding-and-alloys-mt_yXOGOwHmZ4)
- [The Reactivity Series](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/the-reactivity-series-mt_zsYW61cn_q)