What are the differences between metals, non-metals, and metalloids? How do they help us in our everyday lives?
Most metals exist in nature as chemical compounds salts. Iron exists as oxides and sulfides usually. Copper may exist as metal but most of it in the form of salts. Gold, of course, exists mostly as the metal.
Very few metals exist in the elemental state due to their chemical activity. Gold and copper can be found as elemental metals. Most metals occur in nature as compounds such as metal oxides, metal sulfides, etc Metals can be extracted from their compounds by chemically combining the compound with an electron donor (reducing agent) or by electrolysis as used in refining aluminum from its ore. Google refining of metals and see what you find.
