Properties of Metals and Alloys

This lesson covers the properties of metals and alloys as required by the AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy specification (8464), section 4.2.3. You need to understand why pure metals are soft and how alloying changes their properties.

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Properties of Pure Metals

Pure metals have a regular arrangement of identical atoms (or ions) in layers. This regular structure explains many of their properties.

Why Pure Metals Are Relatively Soft

In a pure metal, all the atoms are the same size. This means the layers are arranged in a very regular, orderly pattern. Because of this regularity, the layers can slide over each other relatively easily when a force is applied. This makes pure metals:

• Soft — they can be scratched or dented easily.
• Malleable — they can be hammered into different shapes.
• Ductile — they can be drawn into wires.

Exam Tip (AQA 8464): When explaining why pure metals are soft, always link it to the regular arrangement of identical atoms allowing layers to slide easily.

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What Is an Alloy?