Lead metal has several useful mechanical properties, including high density, low melting point, ductility, and relative inertness.
Many metals are superior to lead in some of these aspects but are generally less common and more difficult to extract from parent ores.
Lead's toxicity has led to its phasing out for some uses.

Lead has been used for bullets since their invention in the Middle Ages.
It is inexpensive; its low melting point means small arms ammunition and shotgun pellets can be cast with minimal technical equipment; and it is denser than other common metals, which allows for better retention of velocity.
It remains the main material for bullets, alloyed with other metals as hardeners.
Concerns have been raised that lead bullets used for hunting can damage the environment.

Lead's high density and resistance to corrosion have been exploited in a number of related applications.
It is used as ballast in sailboat keels; its density allows it to take up a small volume and minimize water resistance, thus counterbalancing the heeling effect of wind on the sails.
It is used in scuba diving weight belts to counteract the diver's buoyancy.
In 1993, the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was stabilized with 600 tonnes of lead.
Because of its corrosion resistance, lead is used as a protective sheath for underwater cables.

Lead has many uses in the construction industry; lead sheets are used as architectural metals in roofing material, cladding, flashing, gutters and gutter joints, and on roof parapets.
Lead is still used in statues and sculptures, including for armatures.
In the past it was often used to balance the wheels of cars; for environmental reasons this use is being phased out in favor of other materials.

Lead is added to copper alloys, such as brass and bronze, to improve machinability and for its lubricating qualities.
Being practically insoluble in copper the lead forms solid globules in imperfections throughout the alloy, such as grain boundaries.
In low concentrations, as well as acting as a lubricant, the globules hinder the formation of swarf as the alloy is worked, thereby improving machinability.
Copper alloys with larger concentrations of lead are used in bearings.
The lead provides lubrication, and the copper provides the load-bearing support.

Lead's high density, atomic number, and formability form the basis for use of lead as a barrier that absorbs sound, vibration, and radiation.
Lead has no natural resonance frequencies; as a result, sheet-lead is used as a sound deadening layer in the walls, floors, and ceilings of sound studios.
Organ pipes are often made from a lead alloy, mixed with various amounts of tin to control the tone of each pipe.
Lead is an established shielding material from radiation in nuclear science and in X-ray rooms due to its denseness and high attenuation coefficient.
Molten lead has been used as a coolant for lead-cooled fast reactors.

The largest use of lead in the early 21st century is in lead–acid batteries.
The lead in batteries undergoes no direct contact with humans, so there are fewer toxicity concerns.
People who work in battery production plants may be exposed to lead dust and inhale it.}
The reactions in the battery between lead, lead dioxide, and sulfuric acid provide a reliable source of voltage.
Supercapacitors incorporating lead–acid batteries have been installed in kilowatt and megawatt scale applications in Australia, Japan, and the United States in frequency regulation, solar smoothing and shifting, wind smoothing, and other applications.
These batteries have lower energy density and charge-discharge efficiency than lithium-ion batteries, but are significantly cheaper.

Lead is used in high voltage power cables as sheathing material to prevent water diffusion into insulation; this use is decreasing as lead is being phased out.
Its use in solder for electronics is also being phased out by some countries to reduce the amount of environmentally hazardous waste.
Lead is one of three metals used in the Oddy test for museum materials, helping detect organic acids, ald
Lead metal has several useful mechanical properties, including high density, low melting point, ductility, and relative inertness. Many metals are superior to lead in some of these aspects but are generally less common and more difficult to extract from parent ores. Lead's toxicity has led to its phasing out for some uses.
Lead has been used for bullets since their invention in the Middle Ages. It is inexpensive; its low melting point means small arms ammunition and shotgun pellets can be cast with minimal technical equipment; and it is denser than other common metals, which allows for better retention of velocity. It remains the main material for bullets, alloyed with other metals as hardeners. Concerns have been raised that lead bullets used for hunting can damage the environment.
Lead's high density and resistance to corrosion have been exploited in a number of related applications. It is used as ballast in sailboat keels; its density allows it to take up a small volume and minimize water resistance, thus counterbalancing the heeling effect of wind on the sails. It is used in scuba diving weight belts to counteract the diver's buoyancy. In 1993, the base of the Leaning Tower of Pisa was stabilized with 600 tonnes of lead. Because of its corrosion resistance, lead is used as a protective sheath for underwater cables.
Lead has many uses in the construction industry; lead sheets are used as architectural metals in roofing material, cladding, flashing, gutters and gutter joints, and on roof parapets. Lead is still used in statues and sculptures, including for armatures. In the past it was often used to balance the wheels of cars; for environmental reasons this use is being phased out in favor of other materials.
Lead is added to copper alloys, such as brass and bronze, to improve machinability and for its lubricating qualities. Being practically insoluble in copper the lead forms solid globules in imperfections throughout the alloy, such as grain boundaries. In low concentrations, as well as acting as a lubricant, the globules hinder the formation of swarf as the alloy is worked, thereby improving machinability. Copper alloys with larger concentrations of lead are used in bearings. The lead provides lubrication, and the copper provides the load-bearing support.
Lead's high density, atomic number, and formability form the basis for use of lead as a barrier that absorbs sound, vibration, and radiation. Lead has no natural resonance frequencies; as a result, sheet-lead is used as a sound deadening layer in the walls, floors, and ceilings of sound studios. Organ pipes are often made from a lead alloy, mixed with various amounts of tin to control the tone of each pipe. Lead is an established shielding material from radiation in nuclear science and in X-ray rooms due to its denseness and high attenuation coefficient. Molten lead has been used as a coolant for lead-cooled fast reactors.
The largest use of lead in the early 21st century is in lead–acid batteries. The lead in batteries undergoes no direct contact with humans, so there are fewer toxicity concerns. People who work in battery production plants may be exposed to lead dust and inhale it.} The reactions in the battery between lead, lead dioxide, and sulfuric acid provide a reliable source of voltage. Supercapacitors incorporating lead–acid batteries have been installed in kilowatt and megawatt scale applications in Australia, Japan, and the United States in frequency regulation, solar smoothing and shifting, wind smoothing, and other applications. These batteries have lower energy density and charge-discharge efficiency than lithium-ion batteries, but are significantly cheaper.
Lead is used in high voltage power cables as sheathing material to prevent water diffusion into insulation; this use is decreasing as lead is being phased out. Its use in solder for electronics is also being phased out by some countries to reduce the amount of environmentally hazardous waste. Lead is one of three metals used in the Oddy test for museum materials, helping detect organic acids, ald
Lead