Eimetallien

Eimetallien, in Finnish usage, refers to non-metal elements. In chemistry, non-metals form a broad class distinct from metals. They are found across the periodic table, primarily in the right-hand p-block and in hydrogen in the upper left. The term is used in Finnish-language texts to contrast non-metals with metallic elements and metalloids.

Non-metals exhibit a wide range of physical properties. At room temperature they include gases such as nitrogen and oxygen, a liquid like bromine, and solids such as carbon, phosphorus, and sulfur. They are typically poor conductors of heat and electricity (with notable exceptions among carbon allotropes), have high electronegativities, and form a large variety of molecular compounds, often oxides and hydrides.

Classification and examples: The non-metals include the halogens, noble gases, and chalcogens (oxygen, sulfur, selenium, tellurium, polonium). Hydrogen is often included with non-metals in many schemes. Metalloids such as boron and silicon border the non-metal class. Many compounds of non-metals are essential for life and industry: oxygen for respiration, carbon in organic chemistry, nitrogen in fertilizers and amino acids, phosphorus in nucleic acids, chlorine and fluorine in disinfectants.

Occurrence and significance: Non-metals occur in the atmosphere, rocks, and biological molecules. Their diverse chemistry allows them to form acids, bases, and salts; their reactivity ranges from inert noble gases to highly reactive halogens. Understanding non-metal chemistry helps explain many chemical processes and the contrasts with metals and metalloids.