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Periodic Table: Classifications definitions

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  • Metals
    Largest group on the periodic table, known for luster, conductivity, opacity, and malleability.
  • Nonmetals
    Elements with dullness, poor conductivity, potential transparency, and brittleness, mostly on the table's right.
  • Metalloids
    Elements with both metallic and nonmetallic traits, found along a staircase from boron to astatine.
  • Luster
    Physical property describing how shiny a substance appears, commonly seen in metals.
  • Conductivity
    Ability to allow electricity to flow, a defining trait of metals and some metalloids.
  • Opacity
    Characteristic of not allowing light to pass through, typical of metals.
  • Malleability
    Capacity to be hammered into thin sheets without breaking, a hallmark of metals.
  • Brittleness
    Tendency to break or crumble under force, often observed in nonmetals.
  • Staircase
    Imaginary boundary on the periodic table marking the position of metalloids.
  • Semiconductors
    Materials with electrical properties between metals and nonmetals, crucial in technology.
  • Lanthanides
    Series of elements typically shown as the first of two separated bottom rows for clarity.
  • Actinides
    Series of elements usually displayed as the second of two bottom rows, part of the main table.
  • Silicon
    A metalloid essential for microchips and electronics, giving Silicon Valley its name.