Metallic bonding and the properties of metals
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Question
What is metallic bonding?
Answer
The electrostatic attraction between a lattice of **positive metal cations** and a **sea of delocalised electrons**.
Question
What does 'delocalised' mean?
Answer
Electrons that are **not fixed to one atom** — free to move throughout the whole lattice.
Question
Why do metals conduct electricity?
Answer
The **delocalised electrons are free to move**, so they carry charge through the metal (solid or molten).
Question
Why are metals malleable?
Answer
The bonding is **non-directional**, so layers of cations can **slide** over each other while the electron sea keeps them bonded.
Question
Why do metals have high melting points?
Answer
A lot of energy is needed to overcome the **strong attraction** between the cations and the delocalised electron sea.
Question
Why are ionic solids brittle but metals are not?
Answer
Sliding an ionic lattice brings **like charges** together → they repel and crack; a metal's non-directional sea has no like-charge layer, so it bends.
Question
Two factors that make metallic bonding stronger?
Answer
**Higher cation charge** and **smaller cation radius** (and more delocalised electrons).
Question
Why is magnesium's metallic bonding stronger than sodium's?
Answer
Mg²⁺ has a **higher charge**, donates **two** electrons (denser sea) and is **smaller** than Na⁺.
Question
How does metallic bond strength change down a group?
Answer
It **weakens** — the cation radius **increases**, so the electron sea sits further from the nucleus.
Question
In a solid metal, what carries the electric charge?
Answer
The **delocalised electrons** (the cations stay fixed) — unlike a molten ionic compound, where the **ions** move.
Question
Why do metals conduct heat well?
Answer
The mobile **delocalised electrons** transfer kinetic energy quickly through the lattice.
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The metallic model
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