METALS AND THEIR COMPOUNDS

CONTENT

1. Relative Abundance of Metals
2. Chemical Characteristics of Metals
3. Reactivity Series of Metals
4. Compounds of Metals
5. Principles of Extraction of Metals
6. Alkali Metals (General Properties)
7. Sodium – Extraction and Properties
8. Compounds of Sodium and Uses

Relative Abundance of Metals

Metals are widely distributed in the earth’s crust either as compounds or in the free metallic form. More than 80 of the known elements are metals except for metals like silver, gold, and platinum, most metals are not found free in nature. They are rather too reactive to exist as free elements. They are more often found as compounds in the form of ores. These ores can exist either as the oxides, hydroxides, trioxocarbonates, sulphates, sulphides, chlorides or nitrate of the metals. Some of the metals are also found in the form of solutions because their stable compounds are stable.

The very reactive metals for example sodium and potassium usually found combined with other elements. For example they are found as chlorides or carbonates which are very stable compounds.