Element vs. Metal — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 23, 2024
Element is a pure substance consisting of only one type of atom, distinguished by its atomic number; metal is a category of elements characterized by conductivity, malleability, and a shiny appearance.
Difference Between Element and Metal
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
An element is a fundamental substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances through chemical means. Each element is defined by the number of protons in its nucleus, which determines its place on the periodic table. Whereas, metal is a type of element that generally conducts electricity and heat well, is ductile, malleable, and typically has a shiny appearance. Metals include elements like iron, copper, and gold.
Elements are classified into metals, nonmetals, and metalloids based on their physical and chemical properties. While metals make up the majority of elements in the periodic table, showcasing properties like high electrical conductivity and lustrous surfaces, nonmetals, such as oxygen and nitrogen, display poor conductivity and lack metallic luster.
Metals are often used in construction and manufacturing due to their strength and durability. On the other hand, elements can be either metals or nonmetals, each serving different roles in various industries; for example, carbon, a nonmetal, is essential in organic chemistry and materials like graphite and diamonds.
Most metals are solid at room temperature, with the exception of mercury. In contrast, elements as a broader category include not only solids but also gases (like helium) and liquids (like bromine under specific conditions).
Metals tend to form positive ions in solutions by losing electrons, which is indicative of their generally less electronegative nature compared to nonmetals. Conversely, elements vary widely in electronegativity, from highly electronegative nonmetals like fluorine to low electronegativity metals like cesium.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A substance composed of one type of atom
A class of elements with specific properties like conductivity and malleability
Physical State
Can be solid, liquid, or gas
Mostly solid, except mercury at room temperature
Conductivity
Varies (nonmetals are poor conductors)
Generally high conductivity
Electronegativity
Wide range
Generally low
Common Uses
Diverse across various fields
Often used in construction, electronics, and manufacturing
Compare with Definitions
Element
Each of more than one hundred substances that have atoms with the same number of protons.
Gold is an element used widely in jewelry.
Metal
Metals are generally malleable and ductile.
Gold can be beaten into extremely thin sheets for various applications.
Element
Elements are represented by symbols in the periodic table.
'O' stands for oxygen, an essential element for life.
Metal
Metals are often used in construction due to their durability.
Steel, an alloy of iron, is fundamental in building frameworks.
Element
A substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances.
Hydrogen is an element that combines with oxygen to form water.
Metal
A substance that is typically hard, shiny, and features good electrical and thermal conductivity.
Copper wires are used extensively due to their metallic properties.
Element
Elements are building blocks for all matter in the universe.
Carbon is an element that forms an enormous variety of compounds.
Metal
Metals include iron, copper, silver, and gold, among others.
Aluminum is a metal that is lightweight yet strong.
Element
In science, an element refers to a pure chemical substance with one type of atom.
Neon is an element used in lighting.
Metal
Metals can form alloys with other metals or nonmetals.
Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
Element
A fundamental, essential, or irreducible constituent of a composite entity.
Metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον métallon, "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typically malleable (they can be hammered into thin sheets) or ductile (can be drawn into wires).
Element
Elements The basic assumptions or principles of a subject.
Metal
A solid material which is typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity (e.g. iron, gold, silver, and aluminium, and alloys such as steel)
Being a metal, aluminium readily conducts heat
An adjustable pole made of metal
Element
A member of a set.
Metal
Broken stone for use in making roads
The work also involves dealing with rock aggregates for potential use as suitable road metal
Element
A point, line, or plane.
Metal
Molten glass before it is blown or cast.
Element
A part of a geometric configuration, such as an angle in a triangle.
Metal
Heavy metal or similar rock music
Crunching power-trio metal
Industrial music is also a blend of metal and techno
Element
The generatrix of a geometric figure.
Metal
Made from or coated with metal
A range of metalled key rings
Element
Any of the terms in the rectangular array of terms that constitute a matrix or determinant.
Metal
Make or mend (a road) with road metal
The road was metalled and tolls charged for the upkeep
Follow the metalled road for about 200 yards
Element
Chemistry & Physics A substance composed of atoms having an identical number of protons in each nucleus. Elements cannot be reduced to simpler substances by normal chemical means. See Periodic Table.
Metal
Any of a category of electropositive elements that usually have a shiny surface, are generally good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn into wires. Typical metals form salts with nonmetals, basic oxides with oxygen, and alloys with one another.
Element
One of four substances, earth, air, fire, or water, formerly regarded as a fundamental constituent of the universe.
Metal
An alloy of two or more metallic elements.
Element
(Electricity)The resistance wire in an electrical appliance such as a heater or an oven.
Metal
An object made of metal.
Element
Elements The forces that constitute the weather, especially severe or inclement weather:outside paint that had been damaged by the elements.
Metal
Basic character; mettle.
Element
An environment naturally suited to or associated with an individual:He is in his element when traveling. The business world is her element.
Metal
Broken stones used for road surfaces or railroad beds.
Element
A distinct group within a larger community:the dissident element on campus.
Metal
Molten glass, especially when used in glassmaking.
Element
A ground unit in an air force comparable to a platoon.
Metal
Molten cast iron.
Element
A unit of an air force equal to two or three aircraft.
Metal
(Printing) Type made of metal.
Element
Elements The bread and wine of the Eucharist.
Metal
(Music) Heavy metal.
Element
One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.
Letters are the elements of written language.
Metal
To cover or surface (a roadbed, for example) with broken stones.
Element
(chemistry) Any one of the simplest chemical substances that cannot be decomposed in a chemical reaction or by any chemical means and made up of atoms all having the same number of protons.
Metal
(heading) Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where their ores come from.
Element
One of the four basic building blocks of matter in theories of ancient philosophers and alchemists: water, earth, fire, and air.
Metal
Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and hard, often a conductor of heat and electricity.
Element
A basic, simple substance out of which something is made, raw material.
Metal
Any material with similar physical properties, such as an alloy.
Element
(legal) A required aspect or component of a cause of action. A deed is regarded as a violation of law only if each element can be proved.
Metal
(astronomy) An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.
Element
(set theory) One of the objects in a set.
Metal
Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
Element
(mathematics) One of the entries of a matrix.
Metal
(mining) The ore from which a metal is derived.
Element
Any of the teeth of a zip fastener.
Metal
(obsolete) A mine from which ores are taken.
Element
A small part of the whole.
An element of the picture
Metal
(tincture) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
Element
A small but present amount of a quality, a hint.
An element of doubt
Metal
Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.
Element
A factor, one of the conditions contributing to a result.
Metal
(music) A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
Element
(obsolete) The sky.
Metal
The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.
Element
(obsolete) Any one of the heavenly spheres believed to carry the celestial bodies.
Metal
The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.
Element
Atmospheric forces such as strong winds and rains.
Exposed to the elements
Metal
The rails of a railway.
Element
A place or state of being that an individual or object is best suited to.
To be in one's element
Metal
The actual airline operating a flight, rather than any of the codeshare operators.
We have American Airlines tickets, but it's on British Airways metal.
Element
The bread and wine taken at Holy Communion.
Metal
(music) Characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
Element
A group of people within a larger group having a particular common characteristic.
You sometimes find the hooligan element at football matches.
Metal
Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.
Element
(in the plural only) The basic principles of a field of knowledge, basics, fundamentals, rudiments.
Metal
To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.
Element
A component in electrical equipment, often in the form of a coil, having a high resistance, thereby generating heat when a current is passed through it.
The element in this electric kettle can heat the water in under a minute.
Metal
An elementary substance, as sodium, calcium, or copper, whose oxide or hydroxide has basic rather than acid properties, as contrasted with the nonmetals, or metalloids. No sharp line can be drawn between the metals and nonmetals, and certain elements partake of both acid and basic qualities, as chromium, manganese, bismuth, etc.
Element
(mathematics) An infinitesimal interval of a quantity, a differential.
The element of area in Cartesian coordinates is dx dy.
Metal
Ore from which a metal is derived; - so called by miners.
Element
(astronomy) An orbital element; one of the parameters needed to uniquely specify a particular orbit.
Metal
A mine from which ores are taken.
Slaves . . . and persons condemned to metals.
Element
(computing) One of the conceptual objects in a markup language, usually represented in text by tags.
Metal
The substance of which anything is made; material; hence, constitutional disposition; character; temper.
Not till God make men of some other metal than earth.
Element
(obsolete) To compound of elements.
Metal
Courage; spirit; mettle. See Mettle.
Element
(obsolete) To constitute and be the elements of.
Metal
The broken stone used in macadamizing roads and ballasting railroads.
Element
One of the simplest or essential parts or principles of which anything consists, or upon which the constitution or fundamental powers of anything are based.
Metal
The effective power or caliber of guns carried by a vessel of war.
Element
One of the ultimate, undecomposable constituents of any kind of matter. Specifically: (Chem.) A substance which cannot be decomposed into different kinds of matter by any means at present employed; as, the elements of water are oxygen and hydrogen.
Metal
Glass in a state of fusion.
Element
One of the ultimate parts which are variously combined in anything; as, letters are the elements of written language; hence, also, a simple portion of that which is complex, as a shaft, lever, wheel, or any simple part in a machine; one of the essential ingredients of any mixture; a constituent part; as, quartz, feldspar, and mica are the elements of granite.
The simplicity which is so large an element in a noble nature was laughed to scorn.
Metal
The rails of a railroad.
Element
One out of several parts combined in a system of aggregation, when each is of the nature of the whole; as, a single cell is an element of the honeycomb.
Metal
To cover with metal; as, to metal a ship's bottom; to metal a road.
Element
One of the simplest essential parts, more commonly called cells, of which animal and vegetable organisms, or their tissues and organs, are composed.
Metal
Any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.
Element
An infinitesimal part of anything of the same nature as the entire magnitude considered; as, in a solid an element may be the infinitesimal portion between any two planes that are separated an indefinitely small distance. In the calculus, element is sometimes used as synonymous with differential.
Metal
A mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten;
Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper
Element
One of the necessary data or values upon which a system of calculations depends, or general conclusions are based; as, the elements of a planet's orbit.
Metal
Cover with metal
Element
The simplest or fundamental principles of any system in philosophy, science, or art; rudiments; as, the elements of geometry, or of music.
Metal
Containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal;
A metallic compound
Metallic luster
The strange metallic note of the meadow lark, suggesting the clash of vibrant blades
Element
Any outline or sketch, regarded as containing the fundamental ideas or features of the thing in question; as, the elements of a plan.
Element
One of the simple substances, as supposed by the ancient philosophers; one of the imaginary principles of matter.
Of elementsThe grosser feeds the purer: Earth the Sea;Earth and the Sea feed Air; the Air those FiresEthereal.
Does not our life consist of the four elements?
And the complexion of the element [i. e.,the sky or air]In favor's like the work we have in hand,Most bloody, fiery, and most terrible.
About twelve ounces [of food], with mere element for drink.
They show that they are out of their element.
Element
The conditions and movements of the air.
Element
The whole material composing the world.
The elements shall melt with fervent heat.
Element
The bread and wine used in the eucharist or Lord's supper.
Element
To compound of elements or first principles.
Element
To constitute; to make up with elements.
His very soul was elemented of nothing but sadness.
Element
An abstract part of something;
Jealousy was a component of his character
Two constituents of a musical composition are melody and harmony
The grammatical elements of a sentence
A key factor in her success
Humor: an effective ingredient of a speech
Element
Any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter
Element
An artifact that is one of the individual parts of which a composite entity is made up; especially a part that can be separated from or attached to a system;
Spare components for cars
A component or constituent element of a system
Element
One of four substances thought in ancient and medieval cosmology to constitute the physical universe;
The alchemists believed that there were four elements
Element
The most favorable environment for a plant or animal;
Water is the element of fishes
Element
The situation in which you are happiest and most effective;
In your element
Element
A straight line that generates a cylinder or cone
Common Curiosities
What makes metals different from nonmetals?
Metals conduct electricity and heat well, whereas nonmetals generally do not.
Can elements exist as gases?
Yes, many elements like hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen exist as gases at room temperature.
Are all elements metals?
No, elements can be classified as metals, nonmetals, or metalloids.
Which element is liquid at room temperature?
Mercury is the only metal that is liquid at room temperature.
Can elements change their state?
Yes, elements like water (from hydrogen and oxygen) can change states from solid to liquid to gas.
What are typical properties of metals?
Metals are good conductors of heat and electricity, malleable, ductile, and often shiny.
How many elements are metals?
About 75% of the elements are metals.
What defines an element?
An element is a pure substance consisting entirely of one type of atom.
What are some common uses of nonmetal elements?
Nonmetals are widely used in the chemical industry and in electronics, such as silicon in computer chips.
What are metalloids?
Metalloids are elements that have properties of both metals and nonmetals.
Are all metals solid at high temperatures?
No, all metals melt at different temperatures, but they generally remain solid at much higher temperatures than nonmetals.
Is gold a metal or an element?
Gold is both a metal and an element.
Why are metals important?
Metals are crucial for their structural properties and functionalities in electronics and machinery.
What is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust?
Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust.
What element is used in light bulbs?
Tungsten, a metal, is commonly used in the filaments of light bulbs.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
