The Periodic Table: Metals and Non-Metals

The Periodic Table is classified into metals and non-metals based on certain distinguishing properties.
Metals occupy the left-hand side of the Periodic Table, while non-metals occupy the right-hand side.
Metals have certain characteristics including being shiny (lustrous), good conductors of heat and electricity, malleable (can be hammered into thin sheets), ductile (can be drawn into wires), and having high melting and boiling points.
Non-metals, in contrast, are usually dull, poor conductors of heat and electricity, brittle, and have low melting and boiling points. These are largely due to the differences in their atomic structure compared to metals.
In terms of chemical reactions, metals usually react by losing electrons to form positive ions (cations), while non-metals generally gain electrons to form negative ions (anions). This is due to their relative positions in the Periodic Table and their resultant difference in electronegativities.
A ‘staircase’ line on the Periodic Table separates metals from non-metals; elements near this line sometimes display properties of both groups and are known as metalloids or semi-metals.
There are more metals than non-metals in the Periodic Table. Metals include groups like alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition metals, post-transition metals, and lanthanides and actinides.
Non-metals include the noble gases, halogens, and elements like carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulphur, and selenium.
The understanding of these properties is crucial in predicting how elements react with others and what sorts of compounds they can form.
Knowledge about the periodic table, along with the distinction between metals and non-metals, becomes handy for different fields including chemistry, materials science, and engineering.