Brainlag PlusPositive ions in a sea of delocalised electrons, why metals conduct and bend, and why alloys are harder.
A sea of electrons
In a metal the outer electrons of each atom are not tied to that atom.
They are delocalised: free to move through the whole structure. What is left are positive ions in a regular lattice. Metallic bonding is the strong attraction between the positive ions and the shared sea of electrons.
A Group 2 metal such as magnesium gives two electrons per atom to the sea, so the lattice is made of Mg2+ ions.
The rest of this lesson and its 10 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 10 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards