The trivial name poor metals is sometimes applied to the metallic elements in the p-block of the periodic table. Their melting and boiling points are generally lower than those of the transition metals and their electronegativity higher, and they are also softer. They are distinguished from the metalloids, however, by their significantly-greater boiling points in the same row.

"Poor metals" is not a rigorous IUPAC-approved nomenclature, but the grouping is generally taken to include aluminium, gallium, indium, tin, thallium, lead, and bismuth. Occasionally germanium, antimony, and polonium are also included, although these are usually considered to be metalloids or "semi-metals". Elements 113 to 116, which are currently allocated the systematic names ununtrium, ununquadium, ununpentium and ununhexium, would likely exhibit properties characteristic of poor metals; however as of yet insufficient quantities of them have been synthesized to examine their chemical properties.

See also

• Periodic table
• Post-transition metal

References

The Chemistry Student's Companion, Stephen Schaffter, Lulu Press, Inc 2006 ISBN 1-4116-9247-0