Question

These elements are hard tough and strong conduct heat and electricity?

Answer 1

Hard, shiny, and tough—metals are the macho poster boys of the material world. Learning how to extract these substances from the Earth and turn them into all kinds of useful materials was one of the most important developments in human civilization, spawning tools, jewelry, engines, machines, and giant static constructions like bridges and skyscrapers. Having said that, "metal" is an almost impossibly broad term that takes in everything from lead (a super-heavy metal) and aluminum (a super-light one) to mercury (a metal that's normally a liquid) and sodium (a metal soft enough to cut like cheese that, fused with chlorine, you can sprinkle on your food—as salt!).