The ability of a metal form thin sheets under the pressure by hammering is known as malleability. For example, aluminium, iron, lead, gold and silver foil. The other property of metals are ductility, sonorous, good conductors of heat and electricity.

Ductility is the ability of the material to be drawn into thin wires. For example, one of the reasons copper is used to supply electricity is because of its high ductility.

The elements or compounds of the metals which occur in nature in the earth's crust are called minerals. Some minerals may contain a large percentage of metal whereas others may contain only a small percentage of the metal. Thus, all the minerals cannot be used to extract metals.

The process of formation of rust is called rusting. Rust is an iron compound; it is formed when a piece of iron is left in an open space with lots of humidity for a few days. A reddish-brown substance appears on the surface of iron, which is known as rust.

The property by virtue of which metal objects produce a ringing sound when struck with any hard object is called sonority. Objects such as wind chimes and bells make use of this property of metals.