3.26: What are the major differences between metals and non-metals?
Metals are usually solids at room temperature [mercury is an exception; gallium and caesium also have very low melting points]. Metals usually have high melting and boiling points. They are good conductors of heat and electricity because they have the tendency to lose electrons easily. They are malleable (they can be flattened into thin sheets by hammering) and ductile (they can be drawn into wires).
Non-metals are usually solids or gases at room temperature with low melting and boiling points (boron and carbon are exceptions). They are poor conductors of heat and electricity. Most non-metallic solids are brittle and neither malleable nor ductile; hence, they form mainly covalent compounds.