Metals have a property of donating electrons when an electronegative atom approaches it. Non metals,on the other hand, have a property of accepting electrons. So whenever a metal atom has a free electron in its valence shell, a non metal may show up demanding that electron. read more
There is no general reaction like many metals displacing hydrogen. But some reactions can occur with specific nonmetals and acids. See the explanation for a couple examples. read more
Metals and Non-Metals react with each other mainly due to the Octet rule. The Octet rule states that the outermost energy level (shell) of an atom cannot have more than 8 electrons. But there is a problem; most of the elements in their neutral form do not have 8 electrons in their outermost shell. read more
Most often, electrons are transferred from the metal atoms to the nonmetal atoms. Some other reactions are possible, such as the reaction between some metal cations and compounds of nonmetals, such as carbon monoxide, to form coordinate covalent bonds. read more