Activity . Take small pieces of iron, copper, aluminium, and magnesium. Try to cut these metals with a sharp knife and note your observations. Hold a piece of sodium metal with a pair of tongs.
CAUTION: Always handle sodium metal with care. Dry it by pressing between the folds of a filter paper. Put it on a watch-glass and try to cut it with a knife. What do you observe?
You will find that some metals can be beaten into thin sheets. This property is called malleability. Did you know that gold and silver are the most malleable metals?