Metallic bonding
Metallic bonding
- A metal is a giant structure of positive ions surrounded by a 'sea' of delocalised electrons that move freely.
- Metallic bonding is the strong attraction between the positive ions and this sea of electrons.
Practice
Metallic bonding is the attraction between:
A metal is a lattice of positive ions in a sea of free (delocalised) electrons that attract them.
Why metals behave as they do
- Good conductor: the delocalised electrons are free to move and carry charge.
- Malleable (hammered into sheets) and ductile (pulled into wires): the layers of positive ions can slide over each other without breaking the bond.
Practice
Metals conduct electricity because:
The mobile delocalised electrons carry charge through the metal.
Practice
Metals can be hammered into shape because layers of ions can slide without breaking the metallic bond.
The sliding layers, still held by the electron sea, let metals bend and reshape instead of shattering.
You've got it
Key idea
- a metal = positive ions in a sea of delocalised electrons
- it conducts because the electrons are free to move
- it is malleable/ductile because ion layers can slide without breaking the metallic bond