Metallic Bonding Flashcards
Describe the structure and bonding of metals.
Metals consist of a giant structure.
The electrons in the outer shell of the metal atoms are delocalised.
There are strong forces of electrostatic attraction between the positive metal ions and the negative electrons.
Describe and explain the properties of metals.
Solid at room temperature / high melting and boiling points - the electrostatic forces are strong, so require a lot of energy to overcome.
Conduct electricity and heat - the delocalised electrons carry an electric charge through the whole structure.
Malleable - layers of atoms can slide over each other.
Why are alloys harder than pure metals?
The alloys contain a mixture of different sized atoms.
So, the layers are distorted.
Which makes it more difficult for the layers to slide over each other.
