Uses of Metals and Non-metals

Uses of Metals and Non-metals

As discussed above, metals are hard, malleable, ductile, and sonorous and are hence, can be used for:

• Making machinery
• Making automobiles, trains, and airplanes
• Making cooking utensils and water boilers
• Making industrial gadgets and satellites etc.

Non-metals also have several uses, such as:

• Essential for life (such as oxygen)
• Used as fertilizers (such as nitrogen and phosphorus)
• Used to purify water (such as chlorine)
• Applied on wounds as an antiseptic (such as purple-colored iodine solution)
• Used in crackers (such as Sulphur)
• Oxygen –required for breathing.
• CO₂–needed for photosynthesis.
• Nitrogen, Sulphur, Phosphorus –present in DNA, RNA; also used to make fertilizers for plants.
• Carbon and hydrogen are the main elements in all biomolecules.