Metals and alloys

In short: Metals conduct electricity and heat, are malleable and shiny. Alloys are mixtures of metals (or with carbon) that have better properties than pure metals.

In more detail: About three quarters of the elements in the periodic table are metals (periodensystem-grundlagen).

In detail

• Iron and steel: Steel is iron with a little carbon, hard and sturdy.
• Stainless steel: With chromium, hardly rusts.
• Aluminium: Light, corrosion-resistant, good conductor, drink cans, aircraft.
• Copper: Very good conductivity, cables and pipes.
• Brass and bronze: Copper with zinc and tin respectively.
• Gold and silver: Noble metals, hardly reactive.
• Rusting: Iron reacts with oxygen and water; protected by paint or galvanising (chemische-reaktionen-grundlagen).
• Recycling: Metals can be recycled well (muelltrennung-in-deutschland).