Occurrence of Metals: Every material discovered on the planet is made up of distinct elements. These elements can be found in the atmosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere, which are the three primary components of the earth. The lithosphere is the primary source of the majority of the elements. On the basis of their physical and chemical properties, the elements have been separated into metals and non-metals.

In this article, the occurrence of metal, you will explore how elements occur in nature? The abundance of elements, the occurrence of metals, ores of different metals, the occurrence of non-metals, and much more.

How Do Elements Occur in Nature?

The elements generally occur in State (native state) or in a combined state. This is mainly because of the difference in the chemical reactivity of elements. 

1. Native State

The elements which have very low reactivity and are not attacked by oxygen or air, moisture, carbon dioxide, or other non-metals occur in the state called native state.

Among the metals, only a few metals, such as silver, gold, platinum, etc., occur in the native state.

Non-metals such as noble gases, carbon, and sulphur also occur in a native state.  The elements are called native elements.

2. Combined State

The elements which are reactive and have a tendency to combine with oxygen or air, moisture, carbon dioxide, and non-metals like carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, phosphorus, arsenic, halogen, etc., occur in the combined state. Therefore, these elements occur in the crust of the earth in the form of their compounds.

In the combined state, the non-metals are usually found in the reduced form and the metals in the oxidised form. The most common forms of metals in the combined states are oxides, carbonates, sulphides, silicates, halides, sulphates, arsenides, phosphates, etc.

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Abundance of Elements

Elements vary in abundance. Oxygen, silicon, aluminium, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, hydrogen, titanium, chlorine, phosphorus, manganese, carbon, sulphur, and barium are there \(16\) most abundant elements in the earth crust. Oxygen constitutes nearly half \(\left( {46.6\% } \right)\) and silicon, about one-quarter of the total mass of the elements in the earth’s crust.

Among the metals, aluminium is the most abundant. It is the third most abundant element in the earth’s crust. It is a major component of many igneous minerals, including mica and clay. Iron is the second most abundant metal in the earth’s crust. Iron is also one of the essential elements in biological systems.

Occurrence of Metals

The main source of metals is the earth’s crust. Seawater also contains some metal salts, which are in soluble form. A metal may occur in its native state (state) or in a combined state depending upon its position in the reactivity series of metals.

Gold and platinum, which are low in the reactivity series, exist in a state. Metals like copper and silver can be found in both their and mixed forms in the earth’s crust.

Zinc, iron, lead, and other metals in the middle of the reactivity range are moderately reactive and occur in a mixed state. These elements are generally found in the form of oxides, sulphides, or carbonates.

Potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and aluminium, which are high in the reactivity series, are highly reactive and invariably occur in a mixed state. These metals do not exist in their natural condition.

The most common forms in which different metals occur in nature are described below:

a. Native Form: Silver (Ag), gold, platinum, copper, mercury
b. Combined State:
1. As oxides: Copper, zinc, aluminium, iron
2. As sulphides: Copper, zinc, silver, lead, iron, mercury, arsenic(As)
3. As chlorides: Silver, sodium, potassium, magnesium
4. As fluorides:  Aluminium, sodium, calcium
5. As carbonate: Copper, zinc, lead, calcium, sodium, magnesium
6. As sulphates: Barium, calcium, lead
7. As phosphate: Lithium, iron, manganese, lead
8. As nitrates: Sodium, potassium

Minerals and Ores

The naturally occurring materials in which the metals or their compounds are found in the earth’s crust are known as minerals. These minerals are obtainable by mining. There are certain minerals that contain a very high percentage of a particular metal, and this metal can be extracted profitably and conveniently. Such minerals are called ores.

The ores may be in the form of oxide, carbonate, sulphide, or halide, but oxide ores are most abundant in the earth’s crust. This is due to the high reactivity of oxygen. The principal ores of few metals are given below:

Metal	Ores
Aluminium \(\left( {{\rm{Al}}} \right)\)	Bauxite, \({\rm{A}}{{\rm{l}}_2}{{\rm{O}}_3} \cdot {\rm{x}}{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}\)
Iron \(\left( {{\rm{Fe}}} \right)\)	Haematite, \({\rm{F}}{{\rm{e}}_2}{{\rm{O}}_3}\) Magnetite, \({\rm{F}}{{\rm{e}}_3}{{\rm{O}}_4}\)
Copper \(\left( {{\rm{Cu}}} \right)\)	Copper pyrites, \(\mathrm{MnO}_{2}\) Copper glance, \({\rm{C}}{{\rm{u}}_2}\;{\rm{S}}\)
Zinc \(\left( {{\rm{Zn}}} \right)\)	Zinc blende,\({\rm{ZnS}}\) Calamine, \({\rm{F}}{{\rm{e}}_2}{{\rm{O}}_4}{\rm{Zn}}\)
Sodium \(\left( {{\rm{Na}}} \right)\)	Rock salt, \({\rm{NaCl}}\)
Manganese \(\left( {{\rm{Mn}}} \right)\)	Pyrolusite, \({\rm{Mn}}{{\rm{O}}_2}\)
Mercury \(\left( {{\rm{Hg}}} \right)\)	Cinnabar, \({\rm{HgS}}\)
Lead \(\left( {{\rm{Pb}}} \right)\)	Galena, \({\rm{PbS}}\)
Calcium \(\left( {{\rm{Ca}}} \right)\)	Limestone, \({\rm{CaC}}{{\rm{O}}_3}\) Gypsum, \({\rm{CaS}}{{\rm{O}}_4}.2{{\rm{H}}_2}{\rm{O}}\)

Occurrence of Non-metals

Non-metals occur in the state as well as in the combined state. The non-metals like hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and noble gases like helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon are found in the state. The other metals are found in the combined state as compounds. The compound may be in carbonate, nitrate, sulphide, sulphate, phosphate, and halide forms. 

Summary

Metals dominate the periodic table since they account for roughly 80% of all known elements. In this article, the occurrence of metal, you have imbibed the occurrence of elements in native and the combined form, the abundance of elements, the occurrence of metals, ores of different metals like iron, aluminium, sodium, zinc, etc., the occurrence of non-metals, etc. This knowledge is applicable for metallurgy, i.e., the scientific and technological process used for the isolation of metals from their ores.

FAQs

Q.1. What is the occurrence of metals? 
Ans: Metals occur in the native state (state) and combined state. Among the metals, only a few metals, such as silver, gold, platinum, etc., occur in the native state. The metal in the combined states occurs as oxides, carbonates, sulphides, silicates, halides, sulphates, arsenides, phosphates, etc.

Q.2. What is the occurrence of non-metal?
Ans: Non-metals occur in the state as well as in the combined state. The non-metals like hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and noble gases like helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon are found in the states. The other metals are found in the combined state as compounds. The compound may be in carbonate, nitrate, sulphide, sulphate, phosphate, and halide forms. 

Q.3. What is the extraction of metals?
Ans: The minerals from which the metals can be extracted conveniently and profitably are called ores. The process of obtaining metal from its ore is called the extraction of metals.

Q.4. Which is the most reactive metal?
Ans: Potassium \(\left( {\rm{K}} \right)\) is the most reactive metal.

Q.5. Where are metals found?
Ans: Most of the metals are found in the earth’s crust in the combined states as oxides, carbonates, sulphides, silicates, halides, sulphates, arsenides, phosphates, etc. Seawater also contains some metal salts in soluble form.

Q.6. Is gold a native metal?
Ans: Yes, gold is native metal since it exists in the state.