What it is, what to hear first, and what sits next to it.
A metal is a material that exhibits a lustrous appearance when polished or fractured and conducts electricity and heat relatively efficiently. These properties are associated with the presence of electrons at the Fermi level. Metals are typically ductile, allowing them to be drawn into wires, and malleable, enabling them to be shaped by hammering or pressing. A metal may be a chemical element, such as iron, an alloy such as stainless steel, or a molecular compound such as polymeric sulfur nitride. .