Video Transcript
Which property of a metal allows it to be drawn into long, thin wires?
The question asks us about one of the properties of metals. Metals are elements or alloy mixtures of different elements, located on the left-hand side of the periodic table, with the metalloids near the metal and the nonmetals on the right, except for hydrogen. We are familiar with many metals like copper, gold, iron, and aluminum. And some metals may not be as familiar to us, such as manganese and lithium. Nevertheless, most metals tend to display very similar characteristic properties and behaviors.
A property, we could say, is an attribute or a quality or a characteristic, which describes something. What are the similar attributes that all metals seem to display? Metals are lustrous or shiny when their surfaces are clean. Most have high melting points. Metals are malleable, meaning they can be hammered into flat sheets. They are also ductile, meaning they can be pulled into long, thin wires. They also conduct heat and electricity very well. So we say they are excellent thermal and electrical conductors.
The question asked us, which property of a metal allows it to be drawn, which means pulled, into long thin wires? And we’ve seen this is because of its ductile nature or its ductility.
