Computers. Smartphones. Jewellery. Skyscrapers. Automobiles. Take a look around! Objects that wouldn't exist without metal may be found all over the place. Is it possible to envision a world without this sturdy, gleaming material?
Even the human body relies on metal for its structural integrity! Red blood cells are made using cobalt. The immune system benefits from zinc. Mercury and copper may pose serious health risks if they are present in high concentrations. One metal, calcium, is required by your bones to function properly.
Table of Contents
Where Do We Use Metal?
As a result, people's health is preserved. Metals may also be used to produce things that have a profound impact on the planet. However, where do all of those metals originate from exactly?
We can find certain metals under our feet on the Earth itself. Nature is abounding in the metals cobalt, iron, and nickel. Gold, zinc, tin, copper, and other metals are all examples.
Many metals, on the other hand, are seldom found in substantial amounts when they are not combined with other substances. Metals in nature are more typically found in combination with rocks and minerals.
Ore is a term used to describe the mixture of metal with rocks and minerals. People must first separate the metals from the ore before they can use them. Smelting is the name given to this procedure.
The metal must be heated beyond its fusion point. It is possible to separate the metal from other components after it has melted.
Brittle metals may be found in nature, such as iron, nickel, and copper. Rust and corrosion are also common problems. People combine metals and other components to create stronger, longer-lasting products. A metal alloy is the end product.
Are there any metal alloys you're aware of? Steel is one of the most often used metal alloys. Iron and carbon are used to create them.
Eating utensils are often made of stainless steel, a common alloy. Iron, carbon, chromium, and molybdenum are the primary constituents.
A piece of jewellery fashioned with rose gold is something you've likely never come across. This is a gold-and-copper alloy.
Consider a cast iron skillet as an option. Another alloy is cast iron. A blend of iron and carbon is what you'll find in it. Copper and tin make up another typical alloy, bronze.
What metal-containing products do you often use? Are metal alloys something you'd want to consider? If so, what mode of transportation do you use to and from school? Steel is most likely the material.
Iron, aluminium, or stainless steel are all possibilities for the materials used in the seats in your classroom. Digital technology is likely to include gold, silver, copper, or platinum if you utilise it at all. It's hard to quit once you begin to notice all the metal in your environment!
Defining the term "metal" is the first step in understanding the origins of metals. Metals are the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
Natural elements and lab-created ones make up the 118 known elements. There are a few nonmetals like carbon and a few "in-between" elements called metalloids, but metals make up the vast majority of these elements.
What Are Metals?
Distinguishing nonmetals and metalloids from metals can be accomplished by examining their physical properties. Metals are much better than plastics in terms of thermal and electrical conductivity.
Upon solidification, they typically take on a hard and glossy appearance. Metals also have the important property of being able to be worked and shaped by hammering. Furthermore, they can be melted and shaped into moulds, or sliced with machine tools to produce useful components.
All of the heavier elements on Earth were produced in stars billions of years ago when hydrogen and helium atoms fused in the intense heat.
After the first stars exploded, the resulting dust and gas drifted to our galaxy, where they eventually coalesced into the solar system. When a new star was born, its surrounding gas and dust condensed to form planets, one of which was Earth.
A lot of folks think Earth is just a big ol' ball of rock with a soft centre, but the truth is that it's mostly made out of metal.
In what ways are various metals distinguished from one another, and what, exactly, is metal? There are so many metals found in nature that it would be easier to list the ones that aren't.
Metals are chemical elements that have a wide range of desirable properties, including being hard, strong, durable, glossy, silvery grey, excellent conductors of electricity and heat, and easily moldable into a wide variety of shapes and forms (such as thin sheets and wires). There is no easy way to define metal because it encompasses such a broad range of things.
"Nonmetals" should mean "other than metals," but the reality is more nuanced. Element types with intermediate physical properties are called semi-metals or metalloids (such as how hard or soft they are, how they conduct electricity and heat).
The chemical properties of nonmetals lie between those of metals and those of nonmetals. Semi-metals such as silicon and germanium are used to construct integrated circuits in electronic devices such as computer chips and solar cells (materials that conduct electricity only under certain circumstances). Metals such as arsenic, boron, and antimony have all been used in the "doping" of semiconductors.
Where Do Metals Come From?
A majority of metals, such as aluminium and silver, originate in the Earth's crust. They are found in ores, which are solid solids known as minerals, often found in rock. By combining them with other metals, the qualities of pure metals may be enhanced.
How Do You Make Metal?
The Earth's core contains a large portion of the planet's metals, particularly iron. Metallic particles are dispersed throughout the Earth's crust, where they are amalgamated with rock and other elements before being deposited in the oceans.
Only a little quantity of metal may be found in granite. Mineral ores having significant concentrations of metal are found in subterranean deposits. These ores are used to manufacture buildings, computers, automobiles, and other items.
Copper, tin, and gold were among the first metals that early people found and hammered into ornaments and other things.
Using alloys, they were able to enhance the properties of the metals they were working with. When copper and tin were mixed together, bronze was formed, which is more durable and useful for weapons than copper alone. Steel, an iron alloy containing trace levels of carbon, is a widely used metal alloy.
How Metal Alloys Are Made
To begin the process of creating metal alloys, the ore must be extracted from the ground. In order to separate the metal from the rock, the ore must first be treated. Extraction may involve the following:
- making a fine powder out of the ore by grinding it and heating it up
- Rinsing it in a chemical bath or with water
- Precipitating out the liquid by using an electric current to dissolve strong chemical bonds in the sludge
A wide variety of products may be made with the metal once it has been removed, including aluminium cans, steel scaffolding, galvanised roofing, and electronic circuits.
Real Alchemy
What's the deal with all the metals in the air? A brief explanation is as follows.
Metals, like all other elements, are composed of subatomic particles like electrons, neutrons, and protons. It is possible to tell different elements apart by counting their protons.
(The number of neutrons and electrons can vary even within an atom of the same element.) If you look at a hydrogen atom, for instance, you'll notice that it only has one proton. Gold has an atomic number of 79. This describes every single hydrogen atom and gold atom in the Universe.
If you could merge the nuclei of 79 hydrogen atoms into a single gold atom, you'd have a lot of money. That is, in fact, extremely common. It also takes place within stars.
There’s Gold In Them Than Stars
The first atoms of matter, roughly 13.7 billion years ago, were composed of hydrogen (with one proton) and helium (with two proton). In terms of total abundance, they continue to dominate all others.
Clouds of dust and gases, so vast that they can only be measured in light-years (1 light year = 6 trillion miles or 9.5 trillion km), accumulated from the initial hydrogen and helium atoms over millions of years.
When the clouds finally succumbed to the clouds' great gravity, the first stars were born. And stars were atom smashers, heating up to temperatures high enough to fuse hydrogen and helium atoms together, rebuilding them into larger, heavier atoms.
By fusing together two hydrogen nuclei, for instance, helium, an atom with two protons, is produced. To create the first and lightest metal, lithium, three hydrogens must be fused together to form an atom with three protons.
In the fusion of three helium nuclei, the resulting atom has six protons, the same number as carbon. All the stars you see in the night sky are undergoing this process. Heavy elements like titanium (22 protons) and iron (26 protons) may be synthesised through this process in the larger ones (26 protons).
The heaviest metals, such as gold (79 protons) and uranium (92 protons), can be created in exceptionally large ones (92 protons). One of the things stars do is produce the elements necessary for life, including the metals that give them their shine.
What Are Metals Like?
Physical properties
Since there are so many chemical elements that fall under the category of metals, you might think it would be difficult to generalise about them.
Every house is different, but it's safe to say that every house has doors, walls, windows, and a roof, and that anyone can draw a house if they try.
Metal fatigue is evidenced by a broken metal teaspoon.
These are some overarching generalisations about metals:
- They are typically a solid, crystalline (the atoms are arranged in regular patterns, like the rows of cans in a supermarket), hard, strong, and dense at room temperature (most metals will sink if you drop them in water, for example).
- As a result of their malleability and ductility, metals can be manipulated to take on a variety of forms (with the right equipment, you can tease them out into long, thin wires). They also don't break easily or wear out quickly, though metal fatigue could eventually cause a fracture (crack or snap) (a gradually developing weakness).
- Unless they are extremely thin, most metals are opaque, shiny, and a silvery grey colour (because they tend to reflect all wavelengths of light to the same extent). Most people are familiar with copper and gold (both of which appear yellow) because of their distinctive hues (both of which result from the metals' unique abilities to reflect different colours of light) (normally reddish, though it turns blue after exposure to air converts it into copper oxide).
- Most metals are good conductors of electricity due to their low electrical resistance, making them feel cold when touched (because they conduct heat well too, carrying heat energy quickly away from your body).
- Iron, nickel, and cobalt are all metals that can provide the energy needed to power the non-magnetic elements nickel, cobalt, and neodymium (and alloys based on them).
What Is the Band Theory?
Band theory, a more involved theory, is prefered by metallurgists (scientists who study metals) to describe metal properties.
You may recall from your studies that electrons in a single atom are organised into distinct "energy levels" (sometimes referred to as shells, other times as orbitals).
Despite the fact that solids are made up of many atoms in close proximity to one another, they do not behave as though they were completely autonomous entities. When the electron orbitals of different atoms overlap, it creates a band called a "molecular orbital" that stretches across multiple molecules.
According to this theory, solids consist of two bands, the valence band (which contains bonding electrons) and the conduction band (which allows electrons to move freely through a metal, carrying heat or electrical energy). Differences in electron movement between bands define metals, nonmetals, and semimetals.
- When energy is introduced to a metal (a conductor), whether in the form of heat or electricity, the electrons are quickly moved from the valence band to the conduction band.
- An extremely high amount of energy is required to coax an electron from one band to the other in insulators and other nonmetals. The term "bandgap" describes this space. Due to the lack of electron promotion from the valence band to the conduction band, the material is unable to conduct electricity or heat under typical conditions.
- According to this view, semi-metals (including semiconductors) are insulators with a smaller bandgap than typical nonmetals.
Look! Shiny!
Wooden, bone, and stone tools have been used by humans and other primates for at least a few million years.
Our ancestors, the Homo sapiens, spent the bulk of their evolutionary history as nomadic hunter-gatherers. Only around 10,000 years ago did they find a "new" material to work with: metal.
The first metals were immediately useful to early metalsmiths because they required no processing. Native metals are those that can be found in nature either in their pure form or combined with other elements while still retaining their desirable properties. The likes of copper, tin, lead, silver, and gold are among them.
One who appreciated their aesthetic value may have stumbled upon these metals in an abandoned streambed or among the roots of a recently buried tree.
It's possible that they used stone hammers to shape them and learn that they could. A significant improvement over stone tools, metals could have been fashioned into jewellery, ornamentation, and weapons such as axes, knives, and swords.
Mines were built, metal was traded between countries, and the industrial metal industry was born as a result of humankind's discovery of and subsequent demand for new metals. Whatever the case may be, it did happen, and it did so in a great many different locations around the world.
Metallurgy
As early as 8,000 b.c.e., humans figured out how to shape metal into useful objects. The cause could have been random chance, or it could have resulted from some inspired problem-solving. Could have been an accidental discovery on their part.
However, new methods were developed to transform metals, and eventually, entirely new metals that did not exist in nature were generated, all with significant improvements in quality.
Metal became one of the most significant substances in human history as metallurgy and mining spread throughout cultures around the world over the next tens of thousands of years. All of these innovative practises relied on fire in some way, and they might have built upon one another. Here are the most noteworthy recent advances:
- Annealing. For lack of a better term, it simply refers to the process of heating metal to the point where it turns a bright red colour. In addition to extending the metal's lifespan, restoring its malleability also makes it easier to work with. For some materials, annealing at low temperatures is an option (copper can be annealed in a campfire). Time of first use could have been as early as 6000 B.C. in the Middle East, Europe, or India.
- Smelting. In this method, metals are melted down to a liquid state so that they can be formed into a variety of different forms. Not until about 5,000 years ago did people start using ceramic kilns, which could reach much higher temperatures than open flames, to cast metals.
- Making metal alloys. Combined metals are in this state when they are melted down to a liquid. By fusing copper and tin in 3300 B.C.E., humans ushered in the Bronze Age with a material that is both more durable and harder than its individual components.
- Extraction. Improved kiln technology and the ability to achieve higher temperatures allowed for the extraction of metals from ore. Circa 1500 B.C., this application of iron was pioneered by Middle Eastern cultures.
- Smelting, alloy manufacturing, and extraction were commonplace among pre-Columbian civilisations in Europe, Asia, and southern and central America up to the Mexican border, but not in the rest of North America or Australia. The metals industry has relied on the same basic procedures since the beginning of time.
The emergence of metalworking has greatly influenced the development of human culture. Metals were widely used by prehistoric man to fashion implements and weapons.
Metals have been instrumental in modern society's advancements in farming, transportation, and the creative arts.
Conclusion
Many modern conveniences, including computers, smartphones, and automobiles, simply wouldn't function without metal. It's also put to use in efforts to protect people's health and create products with far-reaching effects on the environment. But the question remains: where do all those metals come from? The elements cobalt, iron, and nickel can all be found in abundance in nature. Smelting refers to the process of extracting metals from their ore, which is a combination of metals and other materials like rocks and minerals.
Stainless steel, an alloy of iron, carbon, chromium, and molybdenum, is a popular choice for making kitchenware like spoons, forks, and knives. Rose gold jewellery is extremely rare. There are 118 different elements that make up the universe, and of those, ten are metals. They can be shaped into a wide variety of objects and have a number of desirable properties, such as a high hardness, a high strength-to-weight ratio, a high gloss, a silvery grey colour, and a high conductivity of electricity and heat. Atoms of hydrogen and helium fused together in stars billions of years ago and then drifted to our galaxy, where they eventually coalesced to form the sun and planets.
Physical characteristics of nonmetals, such as their hardness or softness, electrical and thermal conductivities, and chemical properties, fall somewhere in the middle of those of metals and nonmetals. Metals are mined from the Earth's crust in the form of ores, which are minerals typically found in rock. Ore is mined, then processed with chemicals and electricity to create metal alloys. Metal alloys have many potential applications in manufacturing. Subatomic particles like electrons, neutrons, and protons make up metals as well as all other elements.
As far back as 13.7 billion years ago, hydrogen (with one proton) and helium were the only components of atoms (with two proton). Over millions of years, the initial hydrogen and helium atoms accumulated to form clouds of dust and gases so vast that they can only be measured in light-years. Eventually, the clouds gave in to the clouds' great gravity, and the first stars were born, where they began to create the elements necessary for life, including the metals that give them their shine. At room temperature, metal is a solid, crystalline material that is incredibly tough, resilient, and dense. It can be shaped into almost anything due to its pliability and ductility.
A bent spoon is a sign of metal fatigue, and most metals are silvery opaque and shiny. Because of their low electrical resistance, they are efficient power sources that can be used to run devices made from the non-magnetic elements nickel, cobalt, and neodymium. Metallurgists prefer band theory to describe metal properties because electrons within an atom are structured into discrete energy levels. The valence band, where the electrons that make up the bonds are located, and the conduction band are the two bands postulated by the theory of metals (which allows electrons to move freely through a metal). Electrons in a metal (a conductor) are quickly shifted from one energy band to another when an external energy source is applied.
With a smaller bandgap than typical nonmetals, semi-metals (including semiconductors) are insulators. Even though humans and other primates have been using wooden, bone, and stone tools for at least a few million years, it wasn't until roughly 10,000 years ago that they discovered a "new" material to work with: metal.
Because they didn't need any preparation before being shaped into jewellery, decorations, or even weapons, these metals were a boon to the early metalworking community. The discovery and subsequent need for new metals by humans gave rise to the industrial metal industry. Over the course of the next several thousand years, metallurgy and mining spread throughout cultures all over the world, elevating metal to one of the most important substances in human history.
Metals that did not previously exist in nature were created as new methods of transforming metals were discovered. Metals have played a crucial role in the development of modern agriculture, transportation, and the arts because of the advent of metalworking.
Content Summary
- As a result, people's health is preserved.
- Metals may also be used to produce things that have a profound impact on the planet.
- Nature is abounding in the metals cobalt, iron, and nickel.
- A metal alloy is the end product.
- Are there any metal alloys you're aware of?
- What metal-containing products do you often use?
- Are metal alloys something you'd want to consider?
- Steel is most likely the material.
- It's hard to quit once you begin to notice all the metal in your environment!Defining the term "metal" is the first step in understanding the origins of metals.
- Metals are the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
- Distinguishing nonmetals and metalloids from metals can be accomplished by examining their physical properties.
- Element types with intermediate physical properties are called semi-metals or metalloids (such as how hard or soft they are, how they conduct electricity and heat).
- The chemical properties of nonmetals lie between those of metals and those of nonmetals.
- By combining them with other metals, the qualities of pure metals may be enhanced.
- The Earth's core contains a large portion of the planet's metals, particularly iron.
- To begin the process of creating metal alloys, the ore must be extracted from the ground.
- What's the deal with all the metals in the air?
- Gold has an atomic number of 79.
- This describes every single hydrogen atom and gold atom in the Universe.
- It also takes place within stars.
- And stars were atom smashers, heating up to temperatures high enough to fuse hydrogen and helium atoms together, rebuilding them into larger, heavier atoms.
- Metal fatigue is evidenced by a broken metal teaspoon.
- Band theory, a more involved theory, is prefered by metallurgists (scientists who study metals) to describe metal properties.
- When the electron orbitals of different atoms overlap, it creates a band called a "molecular orbital" that stretches across multiple molecules.
- According to this view, semi-metals (including semiconductors) are insulators with a smaller bandgap than typical nonmetals.
- Wooden, bone, and stone tools have been used by humans and other primates for at least a few million years.
- However, new methods were developed to transform metals, and eventually, entirely new metals that did not exist in nature were generated, all with significant improvements in quality.
- Metal became one of the most significant substances in human history as metallurgy and mining spread throughout cultures around the world over the next tens of thousands of years.
- By fusing copper and tin in 3300 B.C.E., humans ushered in the Bronze Age with a material that is both more durable and harder than its individual components.
- The metals industry has relied on the same basic procedures since the beginning of time.
- The emergence of metalworking has greatly influenced the development of human culture.
- Metals were widely used by prehistoric man to fashion implements and weapons.
FAQs About Metal
The first step in metal alloy manufacturing is extracting the raw ore from the ground. The ore is then processed to remove non-metal material, such as rock and debris. Metal alloys are then created by melting different metal substances and mixing them.
Metals are minerals like iron or lead that are found underground in rocks. These are separated from the rocks using heat. Metals are very useful materials.
Most pure metals come from the earth's crust. They are found in ores, which is a solid material that minerals and metals can be taken from. Nearly a third of the planet's mass is the element iron and most of that can be found in the planet's core.
Metals are very useful materials. Metals have many properties, such as strength, toughness, and stiffness. When heated, metals can be shaped into anything from a tiny paperclip to a huge aircraft. They are also good conductors of electricity and heat, which makes them useful for electrics and cooking pans.
Malleability & Ductility. One key property of metals that makes them so useful is that they can be shaped and molded without breaking or losing toughness. Metals are very malleable, meaning that they can be compressed or flattened without cracking or shattering. For example, gold is a very malleable metal.