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Metallic elements are primarily found as lithophiles (rock-loving) or chalcophiles (ore-loving). Lithophile elements are mainly the s-block elements, the more reactive of the d-block elements, and the f-block elements. They have a strong affinity for oxygen and mostly exist as relatively low-density silicate minerals.
The chemical elements can be broadly divided into metals, metalloids, and nonmetals according to their shared physical and chemical properties.All elemental metals have a shiny appearance (at least when freshly polished); are good conductors of heat and electricity; form alloys with other metallic elements; and have at least one basic oxide.
Elements in the same group tend to show similar chemical characteristics. Vertical, horizontal and diagonal trends characterize the periodic table. Metallic character increases going down a group and from right to left across a period. Nonmetallic character increases going from the bottom left of the periodic table to the top right.
Hence, in many cases the elements of a particular group have the same valency. However, this periodic trend is not always followed for heavier elements, especially for the f-block and the transition metals. These elements show variable valency as these elements have a d-orbital as the penultimate orbital and an s-orbital as the outermost orbital.
A chemical element, often simply called an element, is a type of atom which has a specific number of protons in its atomic nucleus (i.e., a specific atomic number, or Z). [ 1 ] The definitive visualisation of all 118 elements is the periodic table of the elements , whose history along the principles of the periodic law was one of the founding ...
In the Earth's crust, aluminium is the most abundant metallic element (8.23% by mass [33]) and the third most abundant of all elements (after oxygen and silicon). [65] A large number of silicates in the Earth's crust contain aluminium. [66] In contrast, the Earth's mantle is only 2.38% aluminium by mass. [67]
The expression noble metal is sometimes confined to copper, silver, and gold since their full d-subshells can contribute to their noble character. [12] There are also known to be significant contributions from how readily there is overlap of the d-electron states with the orbitals of other elements, particularly for gold. [13]
A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is known to be liquid at standard temperature and pressure; [a] the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is the halogen bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature. [b]