Metallic Bonding Flashcards
Most metals are solid at room Temperature!
Electrostatic forces between the metal atoms and the delocalised sea of electrons are very strong, so need lots of energy to be broken
this means that most compounds with metallic bonds have very high melting and boiling points, so they’re generally solid at room temperature.
Metals are good Conductors of Electricity and Heat!
The delocalised electrons carry electric charge and thermal (heat) energy through the whole structure, so metals are good conductors of electricity and heat
Most Metals are Malleable!
The layers of atoms in a metal can slide over each other, meaning that they can be bent or hammered or rolled into flat sheets, making it malleable.
Alloys are harder than Pure Metals!
Pure metals are often too soft so are mixed with other materials to make them harder.
An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and another element. Alloys are harder and so more useful than pure metals.
Metallic Bonding involves Delocalised Electrons!
Metals also consist of a giant structure.
Electrons in outer shell are delocalised. There are strong forces of electrostatic attraction between the positive metal ions and the shared negative electrons.
These forces of attraction hold the atoms together in a regular structure and are known as metallic bonding, and is very strong.
