Metallic bonding
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| metallic bonding | 金属键 | jīn shǔ jiàn |
| delocalised electron | 离域电子 | lí yù diàn zi |
| malleable | 可锻 | kě duàn |
| ductile | 延展 | yán zhǎn |
A sea of shared electrons
- Metallic bonding 金属键 is the attraction between positive metal ions and a "sea" of delocalised electrons 离域电子.
- The outer electrons are free to move through the whole metal.
- This explains key properties of metals.
Metallic bonding is the attraction between:
In a metal, positive ions sit in a sea of delocalised electrons that hold the structure together.
Metals conduct electricity because of their ______ (delocalised) electrons.
A sea of delocalised electrons carries charge.
The sea of electrons
- The metal's outer electrons leave their atoms and are delocalised — free to move.
- This explains why metals conduct electricity and are strong.
Metallic bonding: positive ions in a sea of delocalised electrons
Inside a metal — and why it behaves that way
Step through it. Positive ions sit in a shared sea of delocalised electrons. That one picture explains conduction, malleability, and strength.
Metals conduct electricity because:
The delocalised electrons can move through the metal, carrying charge.
Match each property of a metal to the reason for it.
Every metallic property traces back to one picture: positive ions in a mobile sea of electrons.
Why metals conduct and bend
- Delocalised electrons carry charge and heat through the metal.
- Layers of cations slide over one another, so metals are malleable 可锻 and ductile 延展.
Metallic bonding helps explain why metals are strong.
The strong attraction between the positive ions and the electron sea makes metals strong.
What changes the strength
- More delocalised electrons and smaller, more highly charged ions give stronger metallic bonding.
- This raises the melting point — compare sodium with magnesium and aluminium.
Stronger metallic bonding (more delocalised electrons, smaller ions) raises the melting point.
More charge in the electron sea and smaller ions mean stronger attraction, so more energy is needed to melt it.
You've got it
- metallic bonding = attraction between positive metal ions and a sea of delocalised electrons
- the delocalised electrons are free to move → metals conduct electricity and are strong