Metallic Bonding By: Kevin Nguyen, Andrew Sanders, Matt Walch

What is a metal?  Metals have a low number of valence electrons.  Metals have low ionization energy.  Metals are malleable, good conductor, and are ductile.  Metals often form cations in ionic bonds.  Metals form ionic compounds.

What is metallic bonding?  When metals become cations, they form a lattice structure.  Metallic bonding is the electrostatic attraction between the lattice of cations to delocalized electrons.  The wandering electrons are attracted to the lattice structure due to their opposite charges.

The Sea of Electrons  When no other elements are present, a metal will allow its outer electrons to “wander”.  Wandering electrons form a “Sea of Electrons”.  The metal atoms will become ions, and form a regular lattice structure in which the sea of electrons is in between.

The Metallic Bond in Iron, and the “Sea of Electrons”

What is Malleability?  Malleability is the capacity of a substance to be spread out into a thin sheet.  Metals in particular have a high malleability.  This is because of the nature of metallic bonding, the bonds wouldn’t break.  E.g. Aluminum Foil

What is Ductility?  Ductility is the capacity of a substance to be drawn out into a wire.  Metals have high ductility.  This is because bonds don’t break when it is drawn out.  E.g. Copper wire

What is Conductivity?  Conductivity is the ability in a substance to allow energy to flow through it.  Metals have high conductivity.  This is because the sea of electrons allows for electrons, in the form of heat and electricity, to pass through easily.  E.g. Electrical wire

Uses of metals  Often used to create alloys, which are a combination of atoms and other elements that create a strong substance due to metallic bonding.  E.g. Copper wire  E.g. Aluminum foil