giant structures Flashcards
What are the physical properties of metals?
- High melting temperatures
- Good electrical conductivity
- Good thermal conductivity
- Malleability
- Ductility
Describe the structure of metals
An array of atoms with at least some of their outer shell electrons removed and free to move through the structure. Free electrons are called delocalised electrons and they are free to move throughout the structure. There are electrostatic forces of attraction between the nuclei of the metal cations and the delocalised electrons (metallic bonding)
Is the melting temperature of metals high or low? Why?
Metals have a giant lattice structure so there are many forces of attraction between the nuclei of the cations and the delocalised electrons that need to be overcome. The energy required to do this is very large
What are the two features of metals that affect melting temperature?
- Number of delocalised electrons per cation
- Size of the cation
How does the number of delocalised electrons per cation affect melting temperature?
Group 1 metals have low melting temperatures
Group 2 metals have higher melting temperatures
Metals in the d-block have high melting temperatures since they have more delocalised electrons per ion
How does the size of the cation affect melting temperature?
The smaller the cation, the closer the delocalised electrons to the cation’s nucleus, resulting in an increase in the forces of attraction between the nuclei and the delocalised electrons and so an increase in melting temperature
Do metals conduct electricity? Explain answer
When a potential difference is applied across the ends of a metal, delocalised electrons are attracted to and move towards the positive terminal of the cell. Movement of electrical charge constitutes an electric current
What two factors contribute to metals thermal conductivity?
- Free-moving delocalised electrons pass kinetic energy along the metal
- Cations are closely packed and pass kinetic energy from one cation to another
What is malleability?
The ability of materials to be hammered or pressed into different shapes
What is ductility?
The ability of materials to be drawn into a wire
Are metals malleable and ductile? Why?
Metals can be hammered or pressed into different shapes (malleability) and can be drawn into a wire (ductility). This is because when stress is applied to a metal, the layers of cations slide over one another. As the delocalised electrons are free moving, they move with the cations and prevent strong forces of repulsion between cations in one layer and cations in another layer
Where does ionic bonding occur? Give an example
In solid materials consisting of a regular array of oppositely charged ions extending through a giant lattice network. For example, NaCl consists of a regular array of Na+ and Cl-
Describe the structure and bonding in ionic solids
There are strong electrostatic interactions between ions. Ions are arranged so that the electrostatic attractions between oppositely charged ions are greater than the electrostatic repulsions between ions with the same charge
How do you determine the strength of ionic bonding?
Calculate the amount of energy required in one mole of solid to separate the ions in the gas phase
What factor affects the strength of ionic bonding?
Size of the cations as they determine how closely packed they are in the lattice
What is the trend in ionic radii down a group?
As you go down the groups, the ions have more electron shells; therefore, the ions get larger