metals

• metallic bonding involves...


  delocalised electrons
• metals consist of...


  a giant structure
• the electrons in the outer shell of metal atoms are...

  delocalised
• electrostatic attraction


  the attraction between positive and negative charges which hold atoms together in a regular structure known as metallic bonding
• metallic bonding


  the chemical bonding that results from the attraction between metal atoms and the surrounding sea of electrons
• metallic bonding diagram

  
• substances held together by metallic bonding


  metallic elements and alloys
• most metals are ... at room temperature

  solid
• why are (most) metals solid at room temperature?

  the electrostatic forces between the metal atoms and delocalised electrons being very strong mean that lost of energy is required to break them, resulting in compounds with metallic bonds having very high melting and boiling points
• metals are ... conductors of electricity and heat


  good
• why are metals good conductors of electricity and heat?

  the delocalised electrons carry electrical charge and thermal energy though the whole structure
• most metals are...

  malleable
• why are (most) metals malleable?

  the layers of atoms in a metal can slide over each other, making metals malleable - this means that they can be bent, hammered or rolled into flat sheets
• alloys are ... than pure metals

  harder
• alloys


  mixtures composed of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal
• why are alloys made?

  pure metals are too soft for many uses and so are mixed with other metals to make alloys which are harder
• why are alloys harder than pure metals?

  the different sized atoms of the metals distort the layers in the structure, making it more difficult for them to slide over each other
• smart alloys


  they have a special memory property, so if the products gets broken or bent, it can be heated and it will return to its normal shape
• alloy diagram