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Surface chemistry focuses on the behavior of chemical species at the interfaces of solid, liquid, and gas phases, contributing to various Chemistry Topics.
What are the uses of Metals and Non-Metals?
Uses Of Metals
Metals are used in our everyday life for a large number of purposes. Metals are used in making nails, screws, utensils, water boilers, electric wires, office furniture, cars, buses, trains, aeroplanes, satellites, various types of machines, and many, more things used by us. Some of the important uses of metals are given below :
1. Iron, copper and aluminium metals are used to make cooking utensils, and water boilers for factories.
2. Copper metal is used for making electric wires for household wiring, electric motors, armature of dynamos, and many other electrical appliances. Aluminium metal is used for making electric cables (thick wires) and over-head electric transmission lines.
3. Aluminium foils are used for packaging medicines, chocolates, food items and many other materials.
4. Aluminium metal (in the form of alloys) is used to make aeroplanes.
5. Iron metal (in the form of steel) is used to make nails, screws, nut-bolts, pipes, railings, gas cylinders, stoves, water tanks, office furniture, industrial tools and machines, buildings and bridges, railway lines, transport vehicles such as cars, buses and trains, household goods and agricultural implements.
6. Zinc metal is used for galvanising iron to protect it from rusting.
7. Silver and gold metals are used to make jewellery.
8. Mercury metal is used in making thermometers.
In our body, iron is present in the pigment of red blood cells called ‘haemoglobin’ (which transports oxygen from the lungs to all the tissues of our body). If there is deficiency of iron in our body, then there will be less haemoglobin in our blood. Lower level of haemoglobin in the blood will cause shortage of oxygen in the body leading to tiredness and weakness.
Uses Of Non-Metals
All the living things around us like plants and animals (including human beings) are made up mainly of compounds of non-metals like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and phosphorus, etc. Non-metals are used in our day to day life for a large number of purposes. Some of the important uses of the common non-metals like oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, iodine, sulphur, phosphorus and carbon are given below :
- Oxygen is a non-metal which is used by plants and animals (including human beings) for breathing. Thus, oxygen non-metal is essential for maintaining our life. Oxygen non-metal is also used in the process of burning (or combustion) of fuels in homes, factories and transport vehicles.
- Nitrogen is a non-metal which is used in making fertilisers to enhance the growth of plants. Nitrogen gas (being inert) is used in food packaging instead of air, to keep the food fresh.
- Chlorine is a non-metal which is used in the water purification process. Chlorine has the ability to kill germs, so chlorine makes the drinking water supply germ-free.
- Iodine is a non-metal which is used to make purple-coloured solution called ‘tincture iodine’ which is applied on cuts and wounds as an antiseptic.
- Sulphur and phosphorus are the non-metals which are used in fireworks (crackers, etc.)
- Sulphur is a non-metal which is used in the vulcanisation of rubber (or hardening of rubber).
- Carbon is a non-metal which is used as a fuel. The forms of carbon used as a fuel are charcoal, coke and coal.