Giant Covalent And Metallic Structures Flashcards
Properties of giant structures provide evidence for covalent bonding
1) they have very high melting points
2) often extremely hard due to very strong bonds
3) good thermal conductors since vibrations travel easily through stiff lattices
4) insoluble as covalent bond are more attracted to neighbours in the lattice than just solvent molecules
5) cannot conduct electricity as they are no charged ions or free electrons
Metals have giant metallic lattice structures
The electrons in the outer most shell of the metal atoms are delocalised and are free to move
Positive metal irons are electrostatically attracted to the delocalised negative electrons
Melting points are high due to strong metallic bonding with the number of delocalised electrons per atom affecting the melting point
They are malleable as then are no bonds holding specific ions together and the layers of positive metal ions are separated by layers of electrons
They are good thermal conductors as the delocalised electrons can pass kinetic energy to each other
Good electrical conductor because the delocalised electrons are free to move and carry a current
They are insoluble except in liquid metals because of the strength of the metallic bonds
