Metallic Bonding Flashcards
What is metallic bond?
The electrostatic attraction between a lattice of positive metal ions and the sea of delocalised electrons
What are delocalised electrons?
Electrons are lost from the outer shell of the metal and are then free to move around
Why are metals special
Good conductors of heat/electricity
Why do metals have high melting point?
The metallic bond is strong
What are some metals with low and some with high melting points?
Low=mercury, gallium, sodium and potassium
High=tungsten (+3000°C)
What does a metal being strong mean?
It takes a lot of energy to break atoms apart
What are special characteristics of metals?
Malleable - can be bent and shaped without breaking
Ductile - can be drawn into wires
Why are metals malleable and Ductile?
Allthough metallic bonds are strong, Layers of metal atom can slide past each other easily
As the atom shifts, the delocalised electrons keep the whole structure together
Why are allows harder and stronger than pure metals?
The atoms mixed in with the pure metal disrupt the regular layers of ions.
It makes it more diffuclt for the layers to slide past each other
Makes it harder to change their shape or break the substance down
What is an electrostatic attraction?
A force that attracts positively and negatively charged particles together
What is an alloy?
A mixture of a metal and another element (usually a metal but sometimes another element like carbon)
