Properties

Malleability

• Malleability is the property of a substance to be beaten or hammered into thin sheets.
• Metals like gold, silver, and aluminum are highly malleable.
• Gold is the most malleable metal.
• Malleability decreases in non-metals and is absent in brittle materials.

Ductility

• Ductility is the property of a substance to be drawn into thin wires.
• Metals like gold, silver, copper, and platinum are highly ductile.
• Gold is the most ductile metal; a single gram can be drawn into a wire over 2 km long.
• Non-metals are generally non-ductile.

Thermal Conductivity

• Thermal conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct heat.
• Metals like silver and copper are excellent thermal conductors.
• Silver is the best conductor of heat.
• Wood, rubber, and plastics are poor conductors (insulators).

Electrical Conductivity

• Electrical conductivity is the property of a material to allow the flow of electric current.
• Silver is the best conductor of electricity, followed by copper and gold.
• Graphite (a non-metal) is also a good conductor due to free electrons.
• Rubber, glass, and wood are electrical insulators.

Density

• It is defined as mass per unit volume of a substance.
• SI unit: kg/m³.
• Water has maximum density at 4°C (1000 kg/m³).

Viscosity

• It is the measure of resistance of a fluid to flow.
• SI unit: Pascal-second (Pa·s).
• Honey has higher viscosity than water.

Elasticity

• It is the property of a material to regain its original shape after deformation.
• Young’s modulus is the measure of elasticity.
• Steel is more elastic than rubber.

Hardness

• It is the resistance of a material to scratching or indentation.
• Measured on Mohs scale (Talc = 1, Diamond = 10).
• Diamond is the hardest natural material.

Brittleness

• It is the tendency of a material to break without significant deformation.
• Glass and ceramics are brittle materials.

Magnetism

• It is the ability of a material to attract iron or produce a magnetic field.
• Iron, cobalt, and nickel are ferromagnetic materials.

Specific Heat Capacity

• It is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1°C.
• SI unit: J/kg·K.
• Water has high specific heat capacity (4200 J/kg·K).

Cation

• Cations are positively charged ions.
• They are formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.
• Metals generally form cations (e.g., Na⁺, Ca²⁺, Al³⁺).
• Cations are smaller in size than their parent atom.
• Cations move towards the cathode (negative electrode) in electrolysis.
• Examples: H⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, Fe³⁺.

Anion

• Anions are negatively charged ions.
• They are formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.
• Non-metals generally form anions (e.g., Cl⁻, O²⁻, S²⁻).
• Anions are larger in size than their parent atom.
• Anions move towards the anode (positive electrode) in electrolysis.
• Examples: F⁻, OH⁻, NO₃⁻, SO₄²⁻.