Properties of Metals - thermal expansion and thermostats

Today we were investigating properties of metals. We looked at the classic properties of metals first. Metals are:

•  Lustrous - shiny when polished or freshly cut 
• Flexible - they bend before breaking, when hit. 
• Ductile - they can be drawn into wires 
• Malleable - can be hammered into sheets 
• Sonorous - make a ringing sound when hit, rather than a dull thud. 
• Electrical conductors - electricity can flow through them 
• Thermal conductors - energy can flow through them, causing heating. 

We talked about a few possible exceptions to these. Mercury is a liquid at room temperature, so it can’t be sonorous. Maybe if we cooled it until it became a solid, it would be.

Things to look at:

BBC Bitesize Properties of Metals

 Quizlet - quick quiz on properties of metals to revise .

Electrical Conductivity