Non-metals are all around you
Is there a non-metal in the room? Yes. You are breathing some.
Step 1 of 3
- A room at 30 °C. Three columns: gas, liquid, solid.
- Nitrogen is a gas here. Sulfur and iron are solids.
- Mercury is a metal, and it is a liquid here.
Ordinary, and easy to miss
- Nitrogen and oxygen fill most of the air.
- Sulfur is a bright yellow powder.
- Carbon is in charcoal. A pencil core is a form of carbon, graphite.
The rule
State means solid, liquid or gas. The melting point is the temperature where a solid turns to liquid. The boiling point is the temperature where a liquid turns to gas.
Each substance melts and boils at its own points. State and metal-or-not are separate.
At normal air pressure, a substance below its melting point is solid. Above its boiling point, it is a gas. In between, it is liquid.
| Substance | Melts at | Boils at | At 30 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrogen | −210 °C | −196 °C | Gas |
| Sulfur | 115 °C | 445 °C | Solid |
| Mercury | −39 °C | 357 °C | Liquid |
| Iron | 1538 °C | 2861 °C | Solid |
Now try it. Slide the temperature. Watch the four rows.
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