Pure lead has a bright, silvery appearance with a hint of blue.
It tarnishes on contact with moist air and takes on a dull appearance, the hue of which depends on the prevailing conditions.
Characteristic properties of lead include high density, malleability, ductility, and high resistance to corrosion due to passivation.

Lead's close-packed face-centered cubic structure and high atomic weight result in a density of 11.34 g/cm³, which is greater than that of common metals such as iron (7.87 g/cm³), copper (8.93 g/cm³), and zinc (7.14 g/cm³).
This density is the origin of the idiom to go over like a lead balloon.
Some rarer metals are denser: tungsten and gold are both at 19.3 g/cm³, and osmium—the densest metal known—has a density of 22.59 g/cm³, almost twice that of lead.

Lead is a very soft metal with a Mohs hardness of 1.5; it can be scratched with a fingernail.
It is quite malleable and somewhat ductile.
The bulk modulus of lead—a measure of its ease of compressibility—is 45.8 GPa.
In comparison, that of aluminium is 75.2 GPa; copper 137.8 GPa; and mild steel 160–169 GPa.
Lead's tensile strength, at 12–17 MPa, is low (that of aluminium is 6 times higher, copper 10 times, and mild steel 15 times higher); it can be strengthened by adding small amounts of copper or antimony.

The melting point of lead—at 327.5 °C (621.5 °F)—is very low compared to most metals.
Its boiling point of 1749 °C (3180 °F) is the lowest among the carbon group elements.
The electrical resistivity of lead at 20 °C is 192 nanoohm-meters, almost an order of magnitude higher than those of other industrial metals (copper at 15.43 nΩ·m; gold 20.51 nΩ·m; and aluminium at 24.15 nΩ·m).
Lead is a superconductor at temperatures lower than 7.19 K; this is the highest critical temperature of all type-I superconductors and the third highest of the elemental superconductors.
Pure lead has a bright, silvery appearance with a hint of blue. It tarnishes on contact with moist air and takes on a dull appearance, the hue of which depends on the prevailing conditions. Characteristic properties of lead include high density, malleability, ductility, and high resistance to corrosion due to passivation.
Lead's close-packed face-centered cubic structure and high atomic weight result in a density of 11.34 g/cm³, which is greater than that of common metals such as iron (7.87 g/cm³), copper (8.93 g/cm³), and zinc (7.14 g/cm³). This density is the origin of the idiom to go over like a lead balloon. Some rarer metals are denser: tungsten and gold are both at 19.3 g/cm³, and osmium—the densest metal known—has a density of 22.59 g/cm³, almost twice that of lead.
Lead is a very soft metal with a Mohs hardness of 1.5; it can be scratched with a fingernail. It is quite malleable and somewhat ductile. The bulk modulus of lead—a measure of its ease of compressibility—is 45.8 GPa. In comparison, that of aluminium is 75.2 GPa; copper 137.8 GPa; and mild steel 160–169 GPa. Lead's tensile strength, at 12–17 MPa, is low (that of aluminium is 6 times higher, copper 10 times, and mild steel 15 times higher); it can be strengthened by adding small amounts of copper or antimony.
The melting point of lead—at 327.5 °C (621.5 °F)—is very low compared to most metals. Its boiling point of 1749 °C (3180 °F) is the lowest among the carbon group elements. The electrical resistivity of lead at 20 °C is 192 nanoohm-meters, almost an order of magnitude higher than those of other industrial metals (copper at 15.43 nΩ·m; gold 20.51 nΩ·m; and aluminium at 24.15 nΩ·m). Lead is a superconductor at temperatures lower than 7.19 K; this is the highest critical temperature of all type-I superconductors and the third highest of the elemental superconductors.
Lead