metallic bonding

• consists of a lattice of positively charged ions surrounded by a 'sea' of delocalised electrons
• this produces a very strong electrostatic force of attraction between these oppositely charged particles
• the greater the charge on the positive ion, the stronger the attractive force as more electrons are released into the 'sea'
• ions that are larger in size, e.g. Barium, produce a weaker attraction due to their greater atomic radius