List of Important metals & their uses

Dear Gradians,

Here we will discuss Metals & their uses. One line questions are asked from this section in defence exams - AFCAT, Air Force Group X & Y, NDA etc.

Metals:

• Metals are good conductors of heat & electricity and are malleable and ductile.
• Gold and silver are the most malleable and best ductile metals.
• Silver is the best conductor of heat followed by copper.
• Aluminium and copper are good conductors of heat that’s why cooking utensils are made of them.
• Mercury offers high resistance to the flow of electric current.
• Sodium and potassium are so soft that they can be easily cut with a knife.
• Metals are electropositive in nature.
• Almost all the metal oxides are basic in nature but zinc oxide and aluminium oxide are amphoteric.

Alkali metals and their compounds

• Metals of the first group are alkali metals.
•  This group lies in the s-block of the periodic table of elements as all alkali metals have their outermost electron in an s-orbital.
• Lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium and cesium are alkali metals.
• These metals are stored under kerosene or liquid paraffin’s to protect them from the action of air.

 Sodium chloride (NaCl):  

• Commonly known as table salt
• Used in the manufacturing of sodium hydroxide and chlorine gas.
• It is used as a starting material in the manufacturing of caustic soda.
• It is used in the removing of ice from road, now a- days CaCl₂ and MgCl₂ are also used for this purpose.

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH):

• Used in the refining of bauxite material.
• Used in soap, dyes and artificial industries.

Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃):

• It is commonly known as baking soda.
• Used for wool washing.
• Used in the fire extinguisher.

Sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃)

1. It is commonly known as washing soda.
2. Used for softening of hard water.
3. The mixture of sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate is known as Fusion mixture.

Sodium Sulphate:

• It is commonly known as Glauber’s salt.
• It is used as a purgative.

Sodium thiosulphate:

• It is commonly known as Hypo and used in photography as a fixing agent.

Potassium carbonate:

• It is known as pearl ash.

Potassium hydroxide:

• Commonly known as caustic potash.
• Use in the preparation of soft soap.
• Its aqueous solution is known as potash Lye.

Potassium superoxide.

• Used in space capsules, submarines, and a breathing mask as it removes in carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Alkaline Earth Metals and their compounds

The alkaline earth metals are six elements in column (group) 2 of the Periodic table.

They are beryllium (Be),magnesium(Mg),calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr),barium (Ba), and radium (Ra).They have very similar properties: they are all shiny, silvery-white, somewhat reactive metal at the same temperature and pressure.

• Mg(OH₂) is known as milk of magnesia and use as an antacid.

Calcium oxide

• It is also known as quick lime.
• Used in the manufacturing of calcium chloride, cement, and bleaching powder.

Calcium sulphate (CaSO4):

The compound exists in three levels of hydration:

• anhydrous state (mineral name: "anhydrite") with the formula CaSO₄
• dihydrate (mineral name: "gypsum") with the formula CaSO₄(H₂O)₂.
• hemihydrate with the formula CaSO₄(H₂O)_0.5
• It loses a part of water to form plaster of Paris.
• Plaster of Paris is a white powder which becomes hard on contact with water and is used in the manufacturing of statues.

Some Important Metals & Their Uses

Aluminium (Al):

• Ore of aluminium is bauxite.
• It is the third most abundant element in the earth’s crust.
• Used in the manufacturing of cooking utensils.
• Ammonal, a mixture of aluminium powder and ammonium nitrate is used as an explosive.

Tin:

• The ore of tin is Cassiterite.
• The process of converting white tin to grey tin is known as tin disease or tin plague.
• Used in the plating of iron to protect the iron from rusting.
• Tin amalgam is used in the manufacturing of mirrors.

Lead(Pb)

• The main ore of lead is galena.
• Use in the preparation of sulphuric acid through the chamber process.
• Lead acetate is known as sugar of lead.

Zinc(Zn):

• It is used in the galvanization process to prevent the rusting of iron.
• Zinc sulphide is used in the preparation of X-ray screens.
• Zinc oxide is known as philosopher wool.

Mercury(Hg):

• It is the only metal which is liquid at room temperature.
• It forms alloys with all other metal except iron and platinum.

Nickel(Ni):

• Silvery white soft metal.
• Used as an anode in Edison batteries.

Iron(Fe)

• Extracted from the haematite ore and do not occur in Free State due to its reactivity.
• Ferric chloride is used as a styptic to stop bleeding from the cut.
• Ferrous sulphate is used in making blue-black ink.

Stainless steel:

• It is an alloy of iron, chromium, and nickel.
• Used in making automobiles parts and utensils

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