Chemistry - Metallic bonding

What a solid metal consists of

A giant structure of atoms arranged in a regular pattern

What happens to the atoms electrons when they come together to make a solid

They lose their outer electrons and share them with all the other atoms in the metal

What charge the atoms in a metal have

Positive charge

Delocalised electron definition

An electron that is free to move around

The role of electrostatic attractions in a metallic bond

There will be strong electrostatic attractions between the positive ions and the electrons, and these forces of attraction hold the metal’s structure

Properties of a metallic bonded structure

High melting and boiling points, conduct electricity, malleable

Malleable definition

Can be hammered or beat into shape

Why pure metals are malleable

Because of their regular, layered structure which means that their layers can easily slide over each other

Alloy definition

A metal combined with one or more elements

What does an alloy consist of

A mixture of two different metals with differently sized atoms

Why an alloy consists of metals with different sized atoms

Because it disrupts the regular structure so the layers can no longer slide over each other, making the metal harder