Metal as a material is different from metal elements. Metal element atoms are common - most kinds of rock contain them. Metal as a material, by contrast, has me

Metal as a material is different from metal elements. Metal element atoms are common - most kinds of rock contain them. Metal as a material, by contrast, has metallic bonding, where electrons are delocalized across many atoms. This is what gives metal materials all their special properties. The metal atoms in rock do not have metallic bonding; they have covalent and ionic bonding to nonmetal atoms like oxygen. Therefore rock does not contain metal the material, even though it contains metal elements.