Wörterbuch (en): Metal
- Metal
de:
Metall (nt)
fr:
Métal (m)
it:
Metallo (m)
es:
Metal (m)
pt:
Metal (m)
Chemical elements located to the left and below a separation line from boron to astat in the periodic table of elements. The term is also used for alloys and some intermetallic phases; it applies to all materials that exhibit the following four characteristic metallic properties in solid or liquid form: 1. high electrical conductivity, which decreases with increasing temperature, 2. high thermal conductivity, 3. ductility (deformability) 4. metallic sheen ("mirror shine"). All these properties are based on the fact that the cohesion of the atoms concerned with the metallic bond takes place, whose most important characteristic are the electrons freely moving in the lattice.