Question

Name the metals that melt when kept on the palm. Explain the reason.

Answer 1

Hint: To name the metals that melt when kept on palm, choose those metals which have a very low melting point. So those metals with very low melting point and can be melted even by the heat of the palm will be our answer.

Complete answer:
\[Gallium\] and \[Caesium\] are the metals which when kept on palm melts easily. \[Gallium\] melts when kept on the palm due to very low melting point and just the heat of our palm is enough to melt this metal easily. Whereas the metal \[Caesium\] is a waxy, silvery-gold metallic element which is quite soft compared to other metals.
Let us understand what exactly metals are and their properties as well.
When a substance exhibits certain properties they are classified as metals and non-metals. They are physical and chemical properties. These are rigid, lustrous, sonorous, malleable, ductile and are good conductors of heat and electricity. They have the ability to form cations by losing electrons, yield basic oxides and hydroxides. These properties are generally possessed by a metal.
Now let’s discuss the melting and boiling point of metals. During boiling or melting, energy is transferred to a substance to melt or boil it. This energy is required to overcome the forces of attraction between the metal ions and the delocalized electrons in the metal. The more energy needed, the higher the melting or boiling point.
As metals are giant lattice structures, the number of electrostatic forces to be broken is extremely large, and so the metals have high melting and boiling points. This means that the melting point and boiling point of metals are more similar to those of ionic compounds than for covalent substances.

Note:
The properties of metals mentioned are all general properties and therefore some metals might not show these properties. For example not all metals are rigid or in solid state like mercury which is in liquid state.