What is metal? Detailed answer

BIG ENCYCLOPEDIA FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS
Free library / Directory / Big encyclopedia for children and adults

What is metal? Detailed answer

Big encyclopedia for children and adults

Directory / Big encyclopedia. Questions for quiz and self-education

Did you know?

What is metal?

It is not so easy to give an exact answer to the question: "What is a metal?" In terms of physical properties, a metal is a substance that has a bright luster and good conductivity of heat and electricity. However, these properties can also have substances that are by no means metals.

Metals differ greatly from each other in hardness, density, malleability and malleability. (Ductility means the ability to work metal with blacksmith hammers or presses, and malleability means drawing it into wire.) Each metal has a specific melting point, as well as the ability to form alloys with other metals.

At normal room temperature, all metals except mercury are solids. Some metals (for example, gold) can sometimes be found in nature in pure form, but most of them exist in natural conditions only in the form of compounds with other elements. Most often they occur in the form of sulfides, oxides, carbonates and silicates, usually with impurities of granite and other rocks. Many metals are found in ores in combinations with each other. These include lead, zinc, iron, copper, chromium, nickel and others.

Some of the metals are so rare in nature that in order to obtain a very small amount, for example, pure rhenium radium, it is sometimes necessary to process tens of tons of ore. The branch of industry engaged in obtaining pure metals and their alloys from natural raw materials is called metallurgy. Many metals in their pure form have properties that make it difficult to use them for one purpose or another. That is why most of them are used in the form of alloys or chemical compounds. For example, pure iron has insufficient hardness.

Therefore, as a rule, it is used in the form of steel, which is its compound with carbon, often with the addition of other metals: chromium, tungsten, vanadium, etc. Some metals are necessary for the existence of living beings. These include iron, calcium, sodium, magnesium and potassium. Even copper, aluminum and manganese, however, in very tiny amounts, are required for the normal development of the body.

Author: Likum A.

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

What fish did the old fisherman fight in Ernest Hemingway's parable story The Old Man and the Sea?

The hero of the famous work of world literature tried to overcome one of the strongest and most impetuous inhabitants of the tropical part of the Atlantic - a sailboat.

This fish got its name because of the first dorsal fin, long and high, resembling a sail. This predator with an elongated snout reaches a length of 3 meters and weighs about 100 kilograms. Folding its dorsal fin into a special groove, the sailboat can reach speeds of 90-100 kilometers per hour.

This fish can often be seen on the surface of the sea: having put its dorsal fin out of the water, it seems to be drifting in the wind.

Test your knowledge! Did you know...

▪ How does light travel?

▪ What is the best floor to drop a cat from?

▪ Which animals use their body as a pillow?

See other articles Section Big encyclopedia. Questions for quiz and self-education.

Read and write useful comments on this article.

<< Back

Latest news of science and technology, new electronics:

Machine for thinning flowers in gardens 02.05.2024

In modern agriculture, technological progress is developing aimed at increasing the efficiency of plant care processes. The innovative Florix flower thinning machine was presented in Italy, designed to optimize the harvesting stage. This tool is equipped with mobile arms, allowing it to be easily adapted to the needs of the garden. The operator can adjust the speed of the thin wires by controlling them from the tractor cab using a joystick. This approach significantly increases the efficiency of the flower thinning process, providing the possibility of individual adjustment to the specific conditions of the garden, as well as the variety and type of fruit grown in it. After testing the Florix machine for two years on various types of fruit, the results were very encouraging. Farmers such as Filiberto Montanari, who has used a Florix machine for several years, have reported a significant reduction in the time and labor required to thin flowers. ... >>

Advanced Infrared Microscope 02.05.2024

Microscopes play an important role in scientific research, allowing scientists to delve into structures and processes invisible to the eye. However, various microscopy methods have their limitations, and among them was the limitation of resolution when using the infrared range. But the latest achievements of Japanese researchers from the University of Tokyo open up new prospects for studying the microworld. Scientists from the University of Tokyo have unveiled a new microscope that will revolutionize the capabilities of infrared microscopy. This advanced instrument allows you to see the internal structures of living bacteria with amazing clarity on the nanometer scale. Typically, mid-infrared microscopes are limited by low resolution, but the latest development from Japanese researchers overcomes these limitations. According to scientists, the developed microscope allows creating images with a resolution of up to 120 nanometers, which is 30 times higher than the resolution of traditional microscopes. ... >>

Air trap for insects 01.05.2024

Agriculture is one of the key sectors of the economy, and pest control is an integral part of this process. A team of scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla, has come up with an innovative solution to this problem - a wind-powered insect air trap. This device addresses the shortcomings of traditional pest control methods by providing real-time insect population data. The trap is powered entirely by wind energy, making it an environmentally friendly solution that requires no power. Its unique design allows monitoring of both harmful and beneficial insects, providing a complete overview of the population in any agricultural area. “By assessing target pests at the right time, we can take necessary measures to control both pests and diseases,” says Kapil ... >>

Random news from the Archive

Electric car chargers in parking lots 23.10.2013

Hevo is partnering with New York University to install a wireless car charging system in New York City. Devices that look like manhole covers will charge electric cars in the parking lot.

Every day in any major city, a large number of cars deliver food, mail, and other goods, making dozens of stops in the same places. If you install wireless chargers at these stops, you can partially transfer the city's transport infrastructure to electric traction without any special reforms.

The Hevo system consists of three parts: a charging station built into the curb or road, a receiver placed in the car, and a smartphone app that allows drivers to connect their car to the charger and monitor the battery charging process. The principle of operation of the charger is based on a resonant circuit, in which two magnetic coils are connected to capacitors that resonate at a certain frequency. With this scheme, energy losses are reduced, and the transmission speed and distance are increased.

In its current form, the Hevo system runs on 220 volts and can deliver up to 10 kilowatts of current. The Hevo charger is ideal for charging the batteries of electric vehicles that travel at low speeds and have a small capacity battery.

Hevo plans to deploy the first prototypes of the new wireless charging system in Washington Square Park in early 2014. Two NYU Smart ForTwo test vehicles will initially use the chargers, and talks are underway with PepsiCo, Walgreens and City Harvest to roll out the new system in their vehicles.

Other interesting news:

▪ Teclast X2 Pro Hybrid Tablet

▪ Breathing gets harder

▪ Received a new crystalline form of silicon

▪ Sony A7R IV Full Frame Mirrorless Camera

▪ Classical music will help you pass the exam

News feed of science and technology, new electronics

Interesting materials of the Free Technical Library:

▪ section of the site Audio and video surveillance. Selection of articles

▪ Article Terrorist act. Basics of safe life

▪ Why don't snakes have legs? Detailed answer

▪ article Stalnik plowed. Legends, cultivation, methods of application

▪ article Digital capacitance meter. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

▪ article Norms of acceptance tests. Complete current ducts (bus ducts). Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

Leave your comment on this article:

All languages of this page

Home page | Library | Articles | Website map | Site Reviews