Metallic Bonding

Metallic bonding involves the attraction of positive metal ions to delocalised electrons. These freely moving electrons allow metals to conduct electricity and heat.
In metallic bonding, each metal atom donates one or more of its outer shell electrons to create a ‘sea of electrons’. This forms a positive ion core surrounded by a delocalised cloud of electrons.
Given the strong attractions between the positive ions and the delocalised electrons, metals often have high melting and boiling points.

Properties of Metallic Structures

Metals are typically solid at room temperature (except Mercury) due to the strong attractions between the metal ions and the electrons.
They are typically malleable (can be hammered into shape) and ductile (can be drawn into a wire). This is because the layers of positive ions can slide over each other without disrupting the bond, as the delocalised electrons are still present.
Metals are generally good conductors of heat and electricity. The delocalised electrons can carry thermal energy and electrical current through the entirety of the metallic structure.
Alloys (mixtures of two or more metals) often have improved properties compared to the single metals. This is because different sized atoms disrupt the orderly arrangement of ions, making it more difficult for layers to slide over each other, and so making the alloy harder.

The study of metallic bonding involves understanding the structure of a metal, the ‘sea of electrons’ concept and the reasons behind the properties of metal. Grasp the concept of metallic structure and the process of creating alloys to appreciate the versatile nature of metals in our everyday life.