What makes metals shiny

It can take a photon many thousands of years to move from the core to the surface of the Sun because of all the collisions that it makes during the journey. To explain why metals and graphite are shiny, we invoke a combination of reflection, refraction, and the energy levels of MOs. When a photon of light is absorbed and reemitted, the electron moves from one orbital to another.

Let us consider a piece of metal at room temperature. Most photons, regardless of their wavelength, can be absorbed because there is an energy gap between orbitals corresponding to the energy of the photon. This process promotes electrons up to a higher energy level. As the electrons drop back down to a lower energy level, the photons are re-emitted, resulting in the characteristic metallic luster. Metals actually emit light, although this does not mean metals glow in the dark like a light bulb or the Sun.

Instead, metals absorb and re-emit photons, even at room temperature. The color of a particular metal depends upon the range of wavelengths that are re-emitted. For most metals the photons re-emitted have a wide range of wavelengths which makes the metallic surface silvery. A few metals, such as copper and gold, absorb light in the blue region and re-emit light with wavelengths that are biased toward the red end region of the spectrum — nm and therefore they appear yellowish.

This is due to relativistic effects way beyond the scope of this book, but something to look forward to in your future physical chemistry studies! Now we can also understand why metals emit light when they are heated.

The kinetic energy of the atoms increases with temperature which promotes electrons from low to higher energy orbitals. He would go on to become one of the most influential voices in Written By: Hannah Daniel. Tagging is how all of our articles, products and events are related to each other. You can explore tags individually by clicking on them, or by searching for them on our website. To learn more, click here. Upcoming Webinars. NOV 15, NOV 16, NOV 17, Upcoming Virtual Events. DEC 07, DEC 08, Examples: Most metals are good examples of ductile materials, including gold, silver, copper, erbium, terbium, and samarium.

Ductility allows structures to bend and deform to some extent without rupturing. High ductility is critical in applications such as metal cables and structural beams. Gold, silver and platinum are ductile metals. So are most aluminium alloys. It means that a metal can be changed to another form by pulling, compression or twisting. It is the property of a substance by which it can be drawn into thin sheets.

A malleable material is one in which a thin sheet can be easily formed by hammering or rolling. In other words, the material has the ability to deform under compressive stress. A malleable material is one in which a thin sheet can be easily formed by hammering.