Metallic Structures Flashcards
1
Q
What is the structure and what are the properties of metals?
A
A giant structure, good conductors of heat and electricity strong electrostatic attraction between the positive metal ions and the negative electrons, are malleable as layers slide over each other.
2
Q
What causes these properties?
A
A sea of ‘free’ (delocalised) electrons, which come from the outer shell of every metal atom.
3
Q
What are alloys?
A
A mixture of two or more metals.
4
Q
Why are alloys harder than pure metals?
A
Different elements have different sized atoms, so when they are mixed together the layers of the metal are distorted, so they can’t slide over each other. Therefore, they are harder than pure metals, which layers slide over each other.
