What are the properties of a metal? Metals typically have high melting points and are very malleable, meaning they can be bent and shaped very easily, making them very useful for contemporary purposes. They are also ductile, meaning that if their shape were changed, they’d still be equally as tough and strong. Metals also have another very useful property – conductivity. Conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct heat and electricity, making it the prime material to use in various forms of technology. Metals also have a high density and some may react with air and corrode, such as potassium.