Other Nonmetals

Non-metals are the elements in groups 14-16 of the periodic table. Non-metals are not able to conduct electricity or heat very well. As opposed to metals, non-metallic elements are very brittle, and cannot be rolled into wires or pounded into sheets. The non-metals exist in two of the three states of matter at room temperature: gases (such as oxygen) and solids (such as carbon). The non-metals have no metallic luster, and do not reflect light. They have oxidation numbers of ±4, -3, and -2. The nonmetals are a group of elements in the periodic table. They are located to the right of the metalloids and to the left of the halogens. These elements are often referred to as “other nonmetals” as the halogens and noble gases are also nonmetals. The other nonmetals are some of the most abundant elements in the universe including the Earth’s crust, the atmosphere, and the human body. They are either gas (hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen) or solid (carbon, sulfur) under standard conditions. They are not good conductors of electricity or heat. They are very brittle in their solid form. They are not malleable or ductile. They generally have lower densities than metals. They generally have lower melting and boiling points than metals. The one exception to this is carbon. They have high ionization energies.

The Nonmetals are:

  • Hydrogen (H)
  • Carbon (C)
  • Nitrogen (N)
  • Oxygen (O)
  • Phosphorus (P)
  • Sulfur (S)
  • Selenium (Se)

Hydrogen (H)

Name: Hydrogen
Symbol: H
Atomic Number: 1
Atomic Mass: 1.00794 amu
Melting Point: -259.14 °C
Boiling Point: -252.87 °C
Number of Protons/Electrons: 1
Number of Neutrons: 0
Classification: Nonmetal
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Density @ 293 K: 0.08988 g/cm3
Color: colorless

Carbon (C)

Name: Carbon
Symbol: C
Atomic Number: 6
Atomic Mass: 12.0107 amu
Melting Point: 3500.0 °C
Boiling Point: 4827.0 °C
Number of Protons/Electrons: 6
Number of Neutrons: 6
Classification: Nonmetal
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Density @ 293 K: 2.62 g/cm3
Color: May be black

Nitrogen (N)

Name: Nitrogen
Symbol: N
Atomic Number: 7
Atomic Mass: 14.00674 amu
Melting Point: -209.9 °C
Boiling Point: -195.8 °C
Number of Protons/Electrons: 7
Number of Neutrons: 7
Classification: Nonmetal
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Density @ 293 K: 1.2506 g/cm3
Color: colorless

Oxygen (O)

Name: Oxygen
Symbol: O
Atomic Number: 8
Atomic Mass: 15.9994 amu
Melting Point: -218.4 °C
Boiling Point: -183.0 °C
Number of Protons/Electrons: 8
Number of Neutrons: 8
Classification: Nonmetal
Crystal Structure: Cubic
Density @ 293 K: 1.429 g/cm3
Color: colorless