Final answer:
Metals are shiny, excellent conductors of heat and electricity, and can be shaped easily. Nonmetals, on the other hand, are dull, poor conductors, and usually brittle. Nonmetals form molecular compounds with other nonmetals and ionic compounds with metals.
Step-by-step explanation:
The distinction between metals and nonmetals is one of the most fundamental concepts in chemistry. Metals, such as copper and gold, are shiny, silvery in color, and excellent conductors of electricity and heat. They can be beaten into thin sheets (malleable) and drawn into thin wires (ductile), and most have a shiny appearance (lustrous). On the other hand, nonmetals are generally dull in appearance and are poor conductors of heat and electricity.
They can be gases, liquids, or solids at room temperature and pressure, and most solid nonmetals are brittle, breaking into small pieces when hit with a hammer or pulled into a wire. Nonmetals form ionic compounds with metals and molecular compounds by reacting with each other.