metallic bonding Flashcards
what is metallic bonding
the strong electrostatic attraction between sea of negative delocalised electrons and positive metal ions
what do metals consist of
a giant structure
what are the electrons in the outer shell of the metal atoms like
delocalised
what are the forces of electrostatic attraction like
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 are known as metallic bonding.
what do the strong forces do
the electrostatic forces between the metal atoms and the delocalised sea of electrons are very strong, so need to lots of energy to be broken
what happens if they need lots of energy to be broken
have very high melting and boiling points, so they are generally solid at room temp.
how are metals good conductors of electricity and heat
the delocalised electrons carry electrical current and thermal energy through the whole structure, so metals are good conductors of electricity and heat
how are most metals malleable
the layers of atoms in a metal can slide over each other, making metals malleable - meaning they can be bent or hammered or rolled into flat sheets
why aren’t pure metals quite right for certain jobs
they are often to soft when they are pure so are mixed with other other metals to make them harder
why are alloys more useful
alloys are harder and so more useful than pure metals - alloys a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and one other element.
what property of copper makes it more suitable for using in electrical circuits
contains delocalised electrons which are able to carry an electrical current through the whole structure
Iron is often found joined to another element. What is this element
oxygen
