Properties of Metals and Metallic Bonding

Flashcards covering the key vocabulary and concepts related to the properties of metals and metallic bonding.

Electrostatic attraction

The attraction between positively charged cations and negatively charged delocalised electrons.

Metallic bonding

The strong attraction between metal cations and delocalised electrons.

High melting temperature

The temperature required to change a solid to a liquid, which is high in metals due to strong electrostatic attraction.

High boiling temperature

The temperature needed to change a liquid to a gas, also high in metals owing to strong bonding.

Malleability

The ability of a material to change shape under force without breaking.

Ductility

The ability of a material to be drawn into thin wire after force is applied.

Heat conductivity

The ability of a material to allow heat to pass through, which is high in metals because of moving delocalised electrons.

Electrical conductivity

The ability of a material to conduct electric current due to free-moving electrons.

Density

The mass of a unit volume of a substance; metals have high density due to tightly packed cations.

Delocalised electrons

Electrons that are not associated with any specific atom and can move freely in the metallic lattice.

High lustre

The shininess of metals caused by the reflection of light from delocalised electrons.

Cations

Positively charged ions that are attracted to negatively charged delocalised electrons in metals.

what is meant by the term malleability?

Malleability is a property that results in solids having their shape changed after a force has been applied to them. The solid does not break as a result of the force. When a force is applied to an Al can, rows of Al cations shift in a particular direction. Delocalised electrons will be able to quickly move and fill in the space between the rows of ions that have just shifted.

Why do metals have a high density?

Strong attraction between cations and delocalized electrons makes the cations pack closely together

· Metal atoms have a large mass