1. Any of a class of elements that generally are solid at ordinary temperatures, have a grayish color and a shiny surface, and will conduct heat and electricity.

In a pure electrolytic solution, a metal will form positive ions.

Metals constitute about three-fourths of the known elements and can form alloys with each other and with nonmetals.

Common metals include copper, gold, silver, tin, iron, lead, aluminum, and magnesium.

2. An alloy is a mixture composed of the previously listed-common metals.

The first group of the Periodic Table of Elements, IA, including lithium, sodium, potassium; as well as, the lesser-known and rarer rubidiuim, cesium, and francium.

Alkali metals are not very electronegative, meaning they attract electrons very weakly.

All of the alkali metals can act as electrolytes in solution, meaning that they conduct electricity. Many of these elements are found in alkaline batteries.

Lithium in particular is found in many types of batteries and it is also an important component of several drugs used to treat mental illness.

These are the second group on the left of the Periodic Table, IIA, which include beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, and radium.

When these elements are combined with oxygen or water, they form compounds with a basic pH.

Alkaline earth metals are not very electronegative. They have just two valence electrons, and will lose them to become positively charged ions or cations.