The various materials that are used in building is one of the topics covered in GCSE Science. This is the sixth of seven quizzes on that particular subject and it looks specifically at the different physical properties of metals and suitable uses that can be found for them.
It is hard to imagine life without metals. They are strong and can be bent, beaten and stretched into shape without breaking. They also conduct both heat and electricity. Some of the less reactive metals can be found 'native' but the majority are obtained as ores. Ores are naturally occurring rocks that provide an economic starting point for the manufacture of metals. Iron ore is used to make iron and steel. Some metals, for example copper, can be easily extracted whilst others are more difficult. Our metals come from the crust of the Earth and will one day run out - they are non-renewable.