Metallic Bonding

• Metals consist giant structure

  • the electrons in the outer shell of the metal atoms are delocalised
  • there are strong forces of electrostatic attraction the positive metal ions and the shared negative electrons
  • forces of attraction hold the atoms together in a regular structure and are known as metallic bonding - very strong
  • substances that are held together by metallic bonding include metallic elements and alloys
  • the delocalised electrons in the metallic bonds which produce all the properties of metals
• metals solid a room temperature

  • the electrostatic forces between the metal atoms and the delocalised sea of electron are very strong - lots of energy to be broken
  • the most compounds with metallic bonds and have very high melting and boiling points
• metals are good conductors of electricity and heat

  • the delocalised electrons carry electrical current and thermal energy through the whole structure so metals are good conductors of electricity and heat
• metals are malleable

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

  • pure metals are too soft so are mixed with other metals to make them harder
  • alloys are a mixture of two or more metals, they’re harder and so more useful than pure metals
  • different elements have different sized atoms
  • new metals will distort the layers of metals atoms making it more difficult for them to slide over each other
  • this makes alloys harder than pure metals