Metal Shader Texture

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A metal is typically regarded as any substance that shows a lustrous appearance when freshly prepared or polished and conducts electricity relatively well. This broad classification allows metals to range from chemical elements such as iron to complex alloys like stainless steel. Physicists generally consider any substance capable of conducting electricity at absolute zero to be metallic in nature, regardless of its specific properties. When exposed to high pressures, many nonmetallic substances undergo a transformation and become metals; for example, iodine exhibits this property at pressures exceeding 40 thousand times atmospheric pressure. On the other hand, certain metals can transition into nonmetals under extreme conditions—sodium does so at approximately two million times atmospheric pressure. The overwhelming majority of elements within the periodic table are categorized as metals (or likely to be considered such). Although there's a degree of inaccuracy due to variations in definitions across different contexts. In the field of astrophysics, the term "metal" encompasses all chemical elements found in stars that weigh more than hydrogen and helium, thus it's an incredibly broad categorization. Approximately 25% of the Earth's crust is comprised of metals, with significant uses within everyday life, such as in building structures like high-rise buildings and bridges. Metals have played crucial roles throughout history. Precious metals once functioned primarily as a means for exchange (as seen with historical coinage), though this has extended to include over twenty distinct elements. Humans' interactions with metals have developed from the utilization of early materials (like copper around 11,000 years ago) through significant discoveries in later eras (such as sodium in 1809). A material is termed a metal based on its electronic structure. When comparing semiconductors and nonmetals, it's apparent that these categories exhibit an energy gap separating the substance from the threshold for electricity conduction; consequently, semiconductors demonstrate poorer conductive capabilities.